ST. PAUL, Minn. – A basket by Kevin Gleason with 19 seconds left proved to be the difference, as the Macalester College men's basketball team fell to Saint Mary's University, 76-74 Wednesday night in the Leonard Center. The Scots drop to 4-6 overall and 0-5 in the MIAC with the loss, while the Cardinals improve to 5-5, 3-3 MIAC.

With Macalester leading, 72-69 with 1:40 remaining, Gleason drained a three-pointer to tie the score with 1:33 left. Gleason put the Cardinals ahead, 74-72 with two free throws before sophomore guard Michael Gutierrez (Stillwater, Minn./St. Croix Prep Academy) tied the score with a basket with 43 seconds to play. On the next possession, Gleason scored on a layup for a 76-74 lead with 19 seconds left. Gutierrez drove to the basket and put up a layup that was off the mark, and a put-back attempt by senior center Zach Gullerud (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) did not drop as the game ended.

The Scots spotted Saint Mary's an 8-0 lead before reeling off an 18-2 run for an 18-10 advantage just over six minutes into the game. Senior guard Dylan Kilgour (La Crescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley) and sophomore guard Isaac Siegel (Amherst, Mass./Amherst Regional) each hit a pair of threes in the run. The Cardinals responded with a 19-10 run of their own to lead 29-28 with 5:39 left in the half. Macalester regained the upper hand, as a basket by Kilgour put the hosts on top, 39-34 with 1:26 on the clock. A basket by Eli Cave and a three from James Cullen at the buzzer cut the Scots' lead to one, 40-39 at the half.

At the start of the second half, the Scots used the three-pointer to take control of the game. Gutierrez and Siegel hit two threes apiece to ignite a 19-8 spree for a 59-47 lead with 14 minutes to play. Saint Mary's scored the next eight points, including two three-pointers, but four straight points from senior center Kareem Ismail (Pasadena, Calif./Flintridge Prep) gave Macalester a 63-55 edge with 8:21 left.

The lead was still seven, 71-64 with 3:21 to play when the Cardinals tallied the next five points to pull to within 71-69 with 1:50 remaining. Siegel made it 72-69 with a free throw, setting up Gleason's late-game heroics.

Siegel led all players with a career-high 24 points, making all five of his three-point attempts en route to shooting 9-of-13 from the field. He also grabbed six rebounds. Ismail finished with 16 points, seven boards and three blocks, while Gutierrez and Kilgour each scored 13 points. Gutierrez also delivered a career-best nine assists. Gleason and Cave led Saint Mary's with 15 points apiece.

Macalester continues MIAC play with a game at St. Olaf on Saturday, Jan. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.