The Culver-Stockton College men's basketball team  saw its comeback fall short in the season-opener against Harris-Stowe State University Tuesday night at Charles Field House.

The Wildcats trailed by as many as 17 points in in the first minute of the second half only to orchestrate a furious rally throughout the second 20 minutes before falling 89-88.

C-SC started quickly and led by an 11-3 score in the first five minutes of the game. The Wildcats still led 21-19 midway through the first half when a three minute drought by the Wildcats helped the Hornets go on an 11-0 run to take a 30-19 lead.

Harris-Stowe shot 65 percent from the  field in the opening half while the Wildcats struggled to just 36 percent that led to a 57-42 halftime deficit.

The Hornets scored the first basket of the second half to enjoy their biggest lead of the game when the Wildcats started their comeback.

C-SC slowly climbed back into the game and it claimed its first led since early in the first half when Travis Green III drained a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats ahead 76-75 with 7:45 to play.

That lead was short-lived as the Hornets hit a 3-pointer of their own and the game see-sawed back-n-forth the rest of the game.

The Wildcats, trailing 87-84 with under a minute remaining, had a chance to tie the game with 11 seconds left, but a Green 3-pointer was long. 

Alex Jackson IV grabbed the rebound and was fouled and made one of the two free throws keeping it a two-point game.

Forced to foul, Harris-Stowe drained two free throws with eight seconds left to go up 89-85 and Green hit a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to account for. the final score.

Green, making his Wildcat debut, came off the bench to net a game high 31 points. Green was 13 of 19 from the field and had seven rebounds in 29 minutes of game action.

Joining Green in double figures were three starters, Damar Jenkins, Damont Hanton, and Ramzi Salem. Jenkins and Salem added 15 points while Hanton totaled 13 markers.

Jackson finished the game with a game-high 14 rebounds, including 11 defensive caroms. 

The Wildcats (0-1) will try to earn their first victory this Friday, Oct. 31, when it plays its first road game of the season at hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal, Mo. Game time is set for 7 p.m.