CHICAGO – Playing in its first-ever game as a Top 25 team, the 24th-ranked Roosevelt men's basketball team could not exact revenge against visiting Saint Xavier for the Lakers' first loss of the season as the Lakers fell to the Cougars, 73-58, at the Goodman Center on Wednesday night.

Adam Alexander had a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Lakers (21-6, 12-5 CCAC), who were without leading scorer Jake Ludwig due to a one-game suspension after his ejection in Saturday's game at Olivet Nazarene.

Joshua Dillingham had 13 points, six rebounds and five steals in 20 gritty minutes off the bench, and Jake Asquini had 11 points.

Kyle Bumbalough logged 35 minutes to carry the backcourt load minus Ludwig.

Quinn Niego led all scorers with 25 points for the Cougars (16-11, 9-8 CCAC).

The Cougars, who snapped the first of Roosevelt's two nine-game winning streaks in an overtime thriller back on Nov. 29, built a double-digit lead at the end of the first half, and the Lakers played catchup throughout the second half.

Roosevelt got the deficit down to seven early in the second and, after an SXU response, reduced the Cougars' lead to nine with four and a half minutes remaining in regulation after Dillingham was fouled while scoring an inside bucket.

But the Cougars would not let their lead get any lower, and the Lakers ran out of time.

SXU shot 50 percent in the second half, while the Lakers made just nine of 28 shots during that same timeframe.

The Lakers host Governors State at the Goodman Center this Saturday at 3 p.m.