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OSHKOSH, Wis. — Michael Burfeind (Lewiston, Minn.) scored a career-high 24 points and the Saint Mary's University men's basketball team boasted five players in double figures, but the Cardinals' late, second-half rally fell just short, as SMU dropped a 91-79 decision to UW-Oshkosh Friday in the first day of the two-day UW-Oshkosh Thanksgiving Classic.

After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, and staring at an eight-point, 44-36 halftime deficit, the Cardinals found themselves down by 15, 73-58, with 9:15 remaining in regulation.

Over the next eight minutes, however, SMU outscored the Titans 17-6 — capped by a pair of baskets by Evan Pederson (Onalaska, Wis.) and a bucket by Burfeind — to make it a four-point game, 79-75, with 1:46 on the clock.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that was as close as they would get, as UW-Oshkosh closed the game on a 12-4 tear to seal the victory.

Burfeind, who poured in a then-career best 19 points in the Cardinals' four-point season-opening loss to the University of Dallas last Friday, was 7-for-13 from the field and a near-perfect 10 of 13 from the free throw line en route to his 24 points against the Titans.

Pat Freeman (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) chipped in 13 points for SMU, while LaMonte Hall (Minneapolis, Minn.) added 12 — all in the first half — and Pederson and Brandon Larsen (Rochester, Minn.) each added 10 points. Pederson also dished out a career-best seven assists, with Freeman owning a team-high seven rebounds.

As a team, the Cardinals shot 45 percent from the field (23-for-51) and were 28-for-32 from the free throw line. UW-Oshkosh, meanwhile, hit on 52 percent of its field goal attempts (31-for-59) — including draining 11 3-pointers — and were 18-for-20 from the charity stripe.