The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Men's Basketball team shot a season-low 32.4 percent in falling 78-75 to St. Cloud Technical and Community College on Saturday afternoon.
It was the first time the Golden Rams have failed to crack 40 percent shooting as they came into the game shooting over 48 percent overall for the season.
After a slow start, Falmata Tula gave the Golden Rams their first lead 13-12 with a layup and Caleb Garrigan hit a jumper to put Anoka-Ramsey up 15-12.
St. Cloud Tech scored the next five points to go ahead 17-15, but another Tula layup again knotted the score.
Trailing 23-22, Anoka-Ramsey allowed the Cyclones to go on a 6-0 spurt to trail by seven.
Anoka-Ramsey pulled within 30-28 on a Brandon Hixson score, but the Cyclones pushed the lead back up to six 36-30 with 3:04 to play in the half, and the Cyclones would take a 41-34 lead into the break.
St. Cloud Tech pushed the lead to 47-38, but Mamadou Ngom would hit a three-pointer and two free throws, followed by two free throws from Tyler Matsen and the deficit was trimmed to two, 47-45.
St. Cloud Tech used a 17-0 run from there to take their largest lead 64-45 with 8:48 to play.
But Anoka-Ramsey had another run left in them.
A three-pointer from Hixson and two from Edvonte Copeland would help cut the deficit to 12 with 6:44 left.
Trailing by 15 with 2:59 to play, Matsen would connect on consecutive three-pointers to pull within nine.
A three-pointer from Tula, and two free throws from Ngom cut the deficit to 75-68 with 1:20 left.
A free throw from Copeland and a layup from Garrigan pulled Anoka-Ramsey within 75-71 with 50 seconds to play.
St. Cloud Tech missed the front end of a bonus and Ngom would make two free throws to pull within 75-73 with 31 seconds left.
Two Cyclone free throws and two Garrigan free throws kept the deficit at two points 77-75 with 12 seconds left.
St. Cloud Tech would make one of two free throws to push the lead to three, setting up one final chance for the Golden Rams, but a turnover shortly after inbounding the ball with five seconds left would end the game.
Ngom would tie his career-high with 19 points, and pulled in a career-best 22 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
Hixson and Copeland finished with 12 points apiece.
Tula chipped in with ten points.
The Golden Rams fall to 9-6 on the season, 1-1 in the MCAC, and will travel to Worthington on Wednesday to face Minnesota West at 8:00pm.