CHANDLER, Ariz. - The No. 15-ranked Carroll Men's Basketball team fell in their final game of the calendar year, dropping the Cactus Classic finale 91-76 to No. 4 Arizona Christian at the Coyote Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Fighting Saints (9-3, 7-0) couldn't overcome a slow shooting day, as they shot well below their season average against the perennial Top-10 Firestorm.

ACU jumped out to an early seven-point lead over the first five minutes of action, and never looked back in the final game of the Cactus Classic. The Saints trimmed the lead down to just two points with a three-pointer from Gavin Gross (Portland, Ore. / FR) followed by a Firestorm turnover and subsequent Kellen Harrison (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) layup, but that was all the closer Carroll would get for the remainder of the game. The Firestorm led by as much as 18 in the first half, eventually carrying a 47-37 lead into the break.

Isaac Round (Northampton, England / SO) continued his hot-streak, as he and Lorence Dela Cruz (Winnipeg, Manitoba / SR) combined for 20 points in the opening frame (Round 12, Dela Cruz 8). 

Every Carroll advance in the second half was met with resistance from the Firestorm. The Saints were able to get within two scores at the 15-minute mark, but a 19-8 Arizona Christian run over the next six minutes of game time would put the game out of reach.

Round capped an impressive performance over the three-game event with a team-high 24 points on a 7-9 effort from the floor, all seven makes coming from range (7-8 3PT).

Lorence Dela Cruz finished with 13 points and six assists, while Isaiah Crane (Portland, Ore. / R-SO) added nine points and a game-high seven assists.

Carroll was heavily out-rebounded in the loss, coming away with 25 boards to Arizona Christian's 38.

The Saints will enjoy a brief holiday break home with their families, and return to work next week in preparation for a January 2 tilt with Dakota State at the PE Center.