AKRON, Ohio – Lamar University rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit to pull within a point with 1:25 remaining but the Cardinals were never able to reclaim the lead late falling to Omaha, 65-59, on the final day of the Akron Basketball Classic Sunday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals were 20-of-53 (.377) from the field while shooting nearly 46 percent from long range (11-of-24/458). Lamar was led by Alexis Marmolejos who scored 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting (all four makes were three-pointers), while Cody Pennebaker added 11 points and tied for team-high honors with six rebounds.
 
The Cardinals outshot Omaha who managed just nine field goals in the second half, but four of those were three-pointers. The Mavericks finished the day 20-of-56 from the field (.357) with 12 triples (.522).
 
Tony Osborn led the Mavericks with his game-high 23 points.
 
Lamar opened the game strong taking a five-point lead early as the Mavericks could muster just one field goal heading into the first media timeout. Omaha responded coming out of the timeout by rattling off a 21-5 run over the course of the next 6:30 to build an 11-point lead. The Mavericks would push that lead to 15 points before the Cardinals began to claw their way back.
 
Down 12 with 4:52 remaining in the half, Big Red got a basket from Adam Hamilton which would spark a run as Big Red pulled back within seven at halftime, 33-26. The Mavericks pushed the lead back to double figures to open the second half, but Lamar stayed on the attack.
 
The Cardinals found themselves back within a possession following a dunk from Pennebaker on a nice feed from Marmolejos, 42-39. The game remained a one or two possession contest down the stretch and saw LU pull with a single point on a three-pointer from Andrew Holifield and again on a triple from Marmolejos with 1:25 remaining. Unfortunately, the Cardinals never got the key basket they needed to reclaim the lead in the second half as Omaha held on for the win.
 
The Cardinals will be back in action Saturday when they return to Beaumont to host Our Lady of the Lake. The game against OLLU will tip off at 6 p.m. from the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center.