PHOENIX (Duhawks.com) - The Loras College men's basketball team fell to 4-6 on the season Monday, following an 86-80 loss to Southern Maine. Junior Justin VanWambeke led the way for Loras, scoring 15 points while adding five rebounds and four assists on the afternoon.

TURNING POINT
With around 10 minutes to play, a VanWambeke three-pointer cut the Duhawk deficit to three points. Southern Maine (6-5) didn't shy away, pulling away to 77-67 lead with just under five minutes to play. Loras was unable to overcome this double-digit advantage in the closing minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
Loras struggled with turnovers in the first half of play, which prevented the Duhawks from finding their rhythm offensively. Southern Maine's defense forced Loras into taking bad shots early in the shot clock. The Duhawks' defense was exposed by the hot-shooting Huskies, who shot 16-of-30 in the first, including five baskets from deep.

The Duhawks were down big early in the half, trailing by as much as 15 in the opening stages of the game. Loras used the remainder of the half to chip away at the deficit and came away down just 41-34.

It wasn't until the end of the first half that Loras found their stroke, with freshmen Michael Mims and Will Kellerman each hitting key 3-pointers as the half came to a close. These shots from deep were key in pulling the Duhawks back within single-digits.

SECOND HALF
Thanks to halftime adjustments, the Duhawks played better on each side of the ball in the second half. Their defense stymied the Huskies from deep, holding them to just 1-of-12 from beyond the arc.

However, fouls were a thorn in the second half, resulting in Southern Maine earning 22 free-throw attempts. Luckily for Loras, the Huskies converted only 12-of-22 tries.

The Duhawks were never able to get past small obstacles as the game wound to a close. Using the energy of junior Danny Quinn and the play of VanWambeke, Loras pulled within three in the closing minutes.

That was as close as Loras would get however, as the Huskies used multiple and-1 attempts to secure the win. Following a 3-pointer from Mims with two minutes to play, the Duhawks began to gain momentum, but a turnover on the ensuing possession ended Loras' hopes, forcing them to foul.

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Danny Quinn | Quinn brought energy to the court throughout Monday's contest and showcased his trademark hustle. The junior hauled in four offensive rebounds and tallied four second-chance points as a result. In total, Quinn grabbed eight boards, which was a team-high, alongside eight points and two blocked shots.

UP NEXT
Loras gets Tuesday off in Arizona, before facing off against Keene State College on Wednesday. Tip is set for 5:00 CST on the final day of the Arizona Shootout. The Duhawks last saw the Owls in 2008-2009, coming away victorious 80-65.