CLINTON, Iowa - MCC leading scorer Mike Kennedy sank five free throws in the final minute of play and a full court heave from Javier Valdez went long at the final buzzer as the Ashford University men's basketball program fell to St. Ambrose University, 63-60, on Monday night.

After trailing by as much as 19 in the first half, the Saints (15-8, 6-3 MCC) put together a 26-12 run before halftime and eventually took over a lead late in the second half, but clutch free throws from the Bees (16-5, 5-3 MCC) proved to be the difference in the latest chapter of the rivalry.

With the loss, the Bees snap a three-game losing streak to the Saints (15-8, 6-3 MCC), dating back to the end of the regular season last year.

St. Ambrose came out firing early on the first half, as a trio of three-pointers, including back-to-back treys from Justin Tiner, put the Bees out in front 25-6 midway through the first half. After AU Head Coach Oliver Drake used three timeouts in an attempt to calm his team down, a lay-in from junior Jason Landry of Milwaukee, Wis., ended the Saints drought and began a late first-half run.

From that point on the Saints chipped away at the big deficit and a three-pointer from junior Jonathan Wyatt of Chicago, Ill., brought the game to a 35-30 score with 1:18 before halftime. With time running out just before the break, junior Lamar Wall of Milwaukee, Wis., converted a pair of free throws to cut the margin to five.

Valdez led the Saints' balanced offensive attack with eight points in the first half.

Each squad traded buckets to start the second half and the Saints cut the deficit to two when Wall connected for a three-point play in the paint to bring Ashford within 41-39 with 13:34 remaining. On the next two Ashford possessions, junior Matthias Burns of Chicago, Ill., earned the bucket and the foul to give Ashford the 47-46 advantage with 10 minutes to play.

The Bees' Bren Gillespie answered, however, with a three of his own a few minutes later to put St. Ambrose up by five.

Landry hit one of two free throws from the charity stripe to pull the game even at 56-56. On the next two possessions, however, the Saints weren't able to find the basket, allowing the Bees to connect for four consecutive three throws to go up 60-56 with 37 seconds left.

The Saints answered on the next possession when Valdez eventually found an open lane on the left side of the court for as easy lay-in with 12 seconds to go. Following a foul, Kennedy again hit both free throw attempts for the Bees and brought the lead to 62-58. After another quick lay-in from Valdez, who finished the game with a team high 16 points, Kennedy went back to the line with less than a second remaining.

After missing the first, Kennedy made the second, forcing the Saints into a full-court shot closed window. Receiving the inbounds pass, Valdez spun and fired a shot from the other end of the court, only to hit the top of the backboard.

Wall and Burns each finished with 13 points, while junior Klynton Bollinger of Astoria, Ill., added six.

The Saints return to the court on Saturday when they travel to Forest City to face Waldorf College.