FAYETTE, Mo. - The No. 11 Central Methodist University men's basketball team fell short at home on Saturday evening to the defending national champions, falling 72-65 to Graceland University.

The Eagles were down by four at the intermission, but Graceland came out firing to open the second half and extend their lead to as much as 12 points with nine minutes to go. The two teams battled back and forth on both ends of the floor, but Central Methodist was unable to cut the lead down to less than six.

As a team, Central Methodist (8-3/3-3 Heart) finished 43.8 percent from the field and 18-for-24 from the charity stripe while forcing 17 turnovers and collecting 11 steals. Isaiah Thurmond (SR/Alton, Ill.) led all scorers in the contest with 24 points while also tacking on three rebounds, two assists, and one block. Josh Robinson (JR/Normal, Ill.) followed with 13 points and four assists. Terrance Bush (SR/Des Moines, Iowa) led the squad on the boards with seven rebounds and tallied nine points.

The Eagles will have a week long break before returning to action on Saturday, Dec. 8, with a trip to Grand View University. Tipoff is set for 4 pm.