Junior guard Kyle Marxhuasen lit up his former team for 32 points, hitting 6-8 three-pointers and 10-12 free throws in 37 minutes of action, but it wasn't enough to propel Concordia University (5-2) past Minnesota State University (5-3). The Bears fell to the Mavericks 95-78 on Tuesday evening at the Taylor Center in Mankato, Minn. in non-conference action.

Marxhausen's 32 points were a new career high, and he also pulled down a team-high five rebounds to lead a Concordia rebounding effort that was pummeled on the glass, as they were outrebounded 39-22 for the game. On the offensive glass, MSU edged Concordia 14-8 but dominated them with a 20-7 scoring margin on second-chance points. Marxhausen also had two blocks, a steal, and an assist in an all-around dazzling performance against his former team.

Only two other Golden Bears reached double-figures for scoring. Senior forward Ty Thomas had 14, and junior forward Marlon Walker had 11. Thomas was hampered by foul trouble and only saw 21 minutes of court time, finishing with four fouls. Despite the lack of action, Thomas still managed to fire up a team-high 16 field goal attempts, hitting six. Thomas kept busy in his 21 minutes, as he managed four rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals.

Walker's 11 points were a new season high as he shot an efficient 5-8 from the field, collecting three rebounds (two offensive) and dishing a pair of assists in 29 minutes.

Senior forward Kenneth Pointer was held in check as he missed double-digit scoring for the first time this season with just seven points on 1-6 shooting in 28 minutes of play. He did convert all four of his free throws and buried one three.

The Mavericks were led by senior forward Luke Anderson's 26 points and six rebounds. Anderson drained 5-9 from long range and 10-13 from the field in 36 minutes. MSU guard Tony Thomason dished out a game-high nine assists and also scored 14 points in 38 minutes. Three other Mavs reached double-figures, and two more had eight points in an otherwise balanced MSU offensive attack.

Things started rough for Concordia, as they fell in a 23-8 hole in the first 7:36 of the contest. The Bears clawed their way back, cutting the 15 point deficit to just one point, 38-37, late in the second half. MSU scored the final two points of the half to take a 40-37 lead into the locker room.

The second half started much like the first half, as MSU went on a 16-4 run to jump ahead 58-45 in the first five minutes of the half. Over the next five minutes, Concordia cut that gap back to eight at 64-56, but that was as close as the Bears would come. The Mavs rattled off six straight to extend the lead back to 14 before coasting to a 17-point win.

Concordia didn't have the gas to keep up with Minnesota State, as the Mavericks bench outscored them 30-17. The scoring in the paint told the same story, with MSU outscoring CU 38-24. While Concordia won the turnover battle, with 16 compared to MSU's 17, the Mavericks managed to outscore the Bears 21-13 on turnovers and 8-4 on the break.

Cncordia shot 57.1% from downtown (8-14), but it was nearly matched by Minnesota State, who shot 53.3% (8-15). Each team connected on four threes in each half. Minnesota State was nearly perfect at the free throw line, hitting 95% (19-20) compared to Concordia's solid 85.7% (18-21).

Concordia looks to rebound from the loss this weekend when they travel to St. Cloud, where they will take on St. John's and Johnson & Wales this Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m.