SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The No. 21 Concordia-St. Paul men's basketball (4-1, 1-0 NSIC) suffered its first setback of the season on Wednesday afternoon, falling 80-66 to McKendree University (5-1, 0-0 GLVC) in the final game of the DoubleTree by Hilton Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Drury University.

Despite standout scoring efforts from sophomore Owen Carlson and senior Sam West, CSP was unable to overcome a hot-shooting first half by the Bearcats, who built a 40-25 halftime lead and maintained control throughout. The deficit never dropped below 10 in the second half, with the Bearcats leading by as many as 19 on the way to a 14-point victory.

For the game, McKendree shot an efficient 28-of-56 (50%) from the field while outrebounding the Golden Bears 38–26. CSP finished 20-of-54 (37%) from the floor and 6-of-20 (30%) from deep. The Golden Bears also generated an 18-7 edge in fast-break points and a 24-14 advantage in bench points.

West led the Golden Bears in minutes for the fourth time in five games this season, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals, two assists, and two blocks while shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and 7-of-9 at the stripe in 35 minutes of action. Carlson continued his emergence as a major offensive factor, pouring in 18 points off the bench with three triples while going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Junior Ben Kopetzki added 13 points, three assists, and two steals while logging 30 minutes in the backcourt.

Jaden Wysocki chipped in six points and a block, and Ryan Johnson added five rebounds and two points. Junior Chet Kloss set a career high with four blocks in the game, also tallying three points, a rebound, and an assist.

McKendree was paced by a dominant outing from Andrew Moore, who poured in a game-high 23 points to go with seven rebounds and two assists. Cha'Vez Woods added 17 points, and Moses Wilson supplied 10 points and eight boards.

The Golden Bears will now return to the friendly confines of the Gangelhoff Center for the CSP Thanksgiving Classic this weekend. CSP will take on Jamestown (N.D.) at 4 p.m. on Saturday and MSU Moorhead at 4 p.m. on Sunday as a part of the tournament.