Cleveland State took the conference's top team to the wire Saturday night.
The Cougars played at Motlow State (9-2, 5-0) losing 62-57 in a game where a few too many turnovers decided the outcome.
"We played hard and completed, but made too many mistakes with our decisions on offense," said head coach Lee Cigliano.
"We stayed in the game with hustle, but just weren't smart with the basketball."
Cleveland State (4-6, 3-3) committed five more turnovers than the Bucks on the night. Motlow State tallied a 13 rebound advantage.
Reid Pierce and Jaqualis Matlock each had 10 rebounds for the Bucks while Jaylen Barford led all scorers with 16.
Sophomore forward Dontrell Whitaker was the only Cougar to score in double figures with 14 while bringing down 10 rebounds for a double-double.
Cleveland State looks to rebound from their loss this Tuesday night ending their three game road trip in a non-conference match-up against Handle It All Prep. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.