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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dec. 21) -- Senior Mark McLaughlin (Bothell/Inglemoor HS) scored a game-high 24 points, and the Central Washington University men's basketball team nearly overcame a 13-point first-half deficit in a 75-71 loss to 11th-ranked Tarleton State University on Saturday morning at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic.

The Wildcats fell to 4-5 on the season, while Tarleton State, which played its first game away from home this season, improved to 9-0.

McLaughlin, the third-leading scorer in the NCAA Division II this season, scored 12 points in each half. He finished 8 of 19 from the field overall, and also had five rebounds and four assists.

CWU scored the game's opening two points before Tarleton responded with eight straight. The Texans pushed their lead to 13 at 23-10 with 11:51 to go in the opening period before the Wildcats chipped away at the deficit, eventually regaining the lead at 30-29. Tarleton led 34-32 at halftime.

The Texans' late run in the first half carried over into the second, as they scored the first eight points of the period. CWU did not panic, though, eventually tying the game again at 47-47 with 10:36 left, but the Wildcats were never able to take the lead back the rest of the way.

CWU finished the game with an advantage in field goal shooting and turnovers, connecting on 44.6 percent from the field including 48.4 percent in the second half. The Wildcats also committed only 10 turnovers while forcing 15, but they were outscored 25-11 at the free throw line and outrebounded 36-28.

"The guys played hard, and played well against a quality opponent," CWU head coach Greg Sparling said. "We put together a complete second half and our guys did some nice things. I was really encouraged by how hard we played and how together we played as a group."

Senior Kevin Davis (Federal Way/Todd Beamer HS), the team's top shot-blocker, its third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, did not play. Fellow senior JB Pillard III (Kirkland/Juanita HS) slid into the starting center spot, finishing with nine points and five rebounds, while junior Julian Vaughn (Tacoma/Curtis HS) made his first start of the season, scoring six points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds before fouling out.

Also scoring nine for CWU was sophomore Jordan Russell (Tacoma/Lincoln HS), adding a game-high five assists off the bench.

Tarleton, which had won its first eight games by an average margin of 38.9 points per game, was led in scoring by De'Andre Upchurch with 22 points. Chuck Guy added 15 points and five assists, while Tashawn Mabry scored 11 points off the bench.

The Wildcats will complete their two-day stay at the tournament on Sunday morning (Dec. 22), playing the University of West Florida at 11 a.m. That will be the final game of the 2013 calendar year for CWU, who will then resume Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on Jan. 4, 2014, at Northwest Nazarene University.