ST. CLOUD, Minnesota – The Ouachita Baptist University opened the 2021-22 season on Friday with an 84-71 loss to St. Cloud State in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference/Great American Conference Crossover Challenge.

Leon Kalinic led the Tigers with 17 points in 27 minutes off the bench. He was 8-for-10 from the field. Ma'Darius Hobson and Alex Scariolo also reached double-digit for the Tigers in scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

There were five tied scores and four lead changes throughout the game, mostly coming in the first half. The Tigers (0-1) got up by as much as four points early in the first half. The Huskies (1-0) took over midway through the opening half, and made a big run to go up by 16 with three minutes remaining before halftime.

Ouachita erased its double-digit deficit with a big run of its own in the second half, regaining a lead with just under 12 minutes remaining at 49-48 on a three-pointer from Deaveon Bankston. However, the Huskies responded and increased their lead back to double-digits with six minutes remaining. St. Cloud maintained that double-digit lead throughout the rest of the game.

The Tigers are back in action on Saturday in the NSIC/GAC challenge, taking on Minot State at 3 p.m. in St. Cloud.