JOLIET, Ill. --- Aitor Anabitarte, Darius Wright and Carter Fayhee all scored in double figures, but it was not enough to keep the University of St. Francis men's basketball team from suffering its second straight single-digit loss at the Sullivan Center, dropping an 80-73 contest to Lourdes University (Oho) in the first round of USF's own Thanksgiving Classic Saturday night.

Anabitarte delivered season-high efforts in both points (16) and rebounds (14) to record his second double-double in three games this year.  Fourteen of those points and 11 of his game-high caroms came after halftime. 

Wright was one point behind with 15 markers to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.  Fayhee contributed another 13 points, while also dishing out a game-high six assists.

Lourdes' Joey Holifield led all scorers with 21 points, including going a perfect 11-for-11 at the foul line.  Jackie Harris was next in line with 19 points.  He tied Holified for the team's most rebounds with seven, while also providing half of the team's six three-pointers.

USF (1-2) gained its biggest lead of the night in the opening half when it led by seven points twice, the last time coming at 21-14 at the 12:14 mark.  Shortly thereafter, Lourdes went on an 11-2 burst over the next three minutes to take a 25-23 lead.  That advantage eventually expanded to 40-31 before three straight layups from Anabitarte, Lewis McGlasson and Fayhee got the deficit back to 40-37 by the break.

Lourdes (5-1) then scored 11 of the first 16 points in the second half to open a 51-42 advantage before the Saints put together their biggest run of the night.  Wright and Anabitarte both scored a pair of baskets in a 13-2 surge to give USF its only lead of the second half, 55-53, with 11:23 remaining in the game.

The lead, however, lasted just 22 seconds when Lourdes converted a traditional three-point play its next time down the court to go back up by one, 56-55.  The Saints also trailed 61-60 before a Lourdes 12-4 run got the led back up to 73-64 at the 2:17 mark.  It would get as high as 77-67 before the guests finished off the seven-point win.

After both teams shot better than 50 percent in the opening half, neither club shot better than 41 percent in the closing 20 minutes with the Saints also connecting just one time in eight second-half chances from beyond the arc.

One big difference was Lourdes making good on 20 of its 24 chances at the free throw line, while the Saints were just 13-of-20.

Notes: USF's 26 field goals, eight treys, 17 assists and nine steals were all season-high marks … Anabitarte accounted for the most rebounds in a game this year, while Fayhee did the same in assists … Lourdes is coached by former world champion Chicago Bull Dennis Hopson … The Saints close out the Thanksgiving Classic on Sunday against Eureka College at 4 pm.        

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