BOSTON – Emmanuel men's basketball kicked off the EC Tip-Off Classic with a 79-66 loss to the Lake Forest Foresters, as the Saints head for the Consolation Game on Saturday night on Yosinoff Court.

Emmanuel drops to 0-2 this season with both losses coming on home court. Lake Forest picked up its first win of the season to go to 1-2 and advance to the championship game.

One of the Saints only leads of the night at 7-6 would mark the last time the hosts were out front as Lake Forest used the next 6:58 to go on 21-3 run, as Emmanuel found themselves down 27-10 halfway through the first half. Senior Alex Knight and junior Alex Forowycz each scored five points in the Foresters run.

Minutes later, it was a Saints run to get back to within seven, as Emmanuel went on a 14-4 run, capped with back-to-back three pointers by sophomore Mahari Guerrier and junior Ismani Cepeda, cutting the deficit to 33-26.

The Foresters finished out the final 4:22 strong, taking back their double-digit advantage going into halftime, 41-30. Lake Forest shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 8-of-9 from the line in the opening 20 minutes for their 11-point lead at the break.

Emmanuel got as close as six at 41-35 after scoring the first five points of the second half, but that run would be the Saints last as the Foresters slowly extended their lead throughout the final 20 minutes. An 18-8 run over a span of 6:43 would help Lake Forest to its largest lead, 73-53, with 5:07 to go.

The Saints closed back within 11 in the final minutes but not enough time remained for a substantial run as the Foresters claimed a 79-66 win.

Knight finished with a game-high 25 points and seven assists while shooting 12-of-17 from the field. Forowycz chipped in with 15 points, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, to go along with six rebounds.

The Foresters dominated inside, outscoring the Saints 44-28 in the paint. Lake Forest finished the evening shooting 32-of-55 overall, good for a staggering 58.2 percent from the field.

Guerrier and junior Zaire Baines each finished with 15 points with Baines adding a team-high five assists. Junior Vondre Chase added 10 points for the Saints while sophomore Noah Beaudet finished with a career-high six steals.

Emmanuel's shooting percentages from all over the floor told the final story as 36.8 percent shooting, including 8-for-31 from beyond the arc and just 44.4 percent shooting from the foul line made offense difficult to come by.

The Saints head into the consolation game to take on the SUNY Poly Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 6:00 p.m. The Foresters will look for the Tip-Off Title as they face Endicott in the Championship Game at 8:00 p.m.