FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Neither Braedon Edison's 26-point night nor Noah McCord's second double-double in as many nights were able to propel Multnomah past the University of Alaska Fairbanks, as the Lions fell 85-84 in the dying moments of tonight's exhibition game.

"It's tough to lose a game this way when we worked so hard to be in the position of competing until the final buzzer," shared head coach Tayo Gem when asked for his post-game analysis. "The goal for this trip was to 'get better at being us,' which we did - I'm so proud of this group and we have lots of positive energy heading into conference play!"

UA Fairbanks led for the majority of the first half, before Multnomah changed the tide of the game with about six minutes remaining in the period. The Lions were able to extend their lead to as much as 10 points thanks to some sharp shooting from junior guard Alileyon Ford and junior center Henry Grassman, before ending the half with a 51-44 advantage. 

Multnomah continued to maintain the lead for the first portion of the second half, which proved to be as tightly-contested as last night's matchup was. Each team exchanged blows, but it again came down to turnovers and missed scoring opportunities for the Lions late in the game, which saw their lead slip from their grasp as the game wore on.

Edison tied things up with just 28 seconds remaining, but failed to convert the second of his two free throws. The hosts used the remaining time to kill the clock and draw a crucial foul, which brought them to the free throw line where Ketan Sidhu scored the final and defining point of the game.

Edison added four rebounds and three assists to his 26-point performance, while McCord tallied 16 rebounds, 13 points, and a game-high five assists. Ford ended the night with 17 points and four assists, while Marje Windfield rounded out the squad with 14 points, three rebounds and two assists.

The Lions open up the 2024 Cascade Collegiate Conference season next Tuesday against cross-town rivals Warner Pacific University.