The Anoka-Ramsey Men’s Basketball team fought back from a double digit deficit to pull within one point, but ultimately fell to St. Cloud Tech 89-80 on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Rams started slow and trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, but pulled within seven at halftime 45-38.

St. Cloud Tech started the second half on a 10-2 run to go up 55-40, but Anoka-Ramsey countered with ten straight points to pull within five.

The Cyclones built the lead back up to 11 points, 72-61 with 8:03 to go but another 10-0 run, highlighted by seven points from Elijah Mead and a three by Isaiah Woodstock, pulled Anoka-Ramsey within one point with five minutes to play.

But St. Cloud Tech essentially put the game away with a 11-1 run over the next three minutes.

Anoka-Ramsey made 11 of 23 threes (47.8 percent) but was just 29 of 74 (39.2 percent) overall, and were outscored 24-11 on free throws.

Mead finished with 24 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Ontario Chapman (16 points, 10 rebounds), and Devin Wade-Henderson (13 points, 14 rebounds) had double-doubles.

Terrell Fountain chipped in 14 points.

Anoka-Ramsey falls to 14-11 overall, 7-5 in the conference, but clinched a spot in the NJCAA Region XIII tournament after Ridgewater lost on Saturday.  Anoka-Ramsey is tied with St. Cloud Tech for third, but the Cyclones own the tie-break with two wins over the Golden Rams.

The Golden Rams travel to Rochester on Wednesday, February 16.