COLUMBUS - The Capital University men's basketball team fell to Thomas More (Ky.), 76-64, in the 2014-15 season opener on Saturday at the Capital Center.

Capital (0-1 overall) battled back and forth with the Saints for the entire first half of play, before building a seven point lead at 26-19 with just under three minutes remaining until halftime.

Thomas More then ended the half on a 10-2 scoring run, taking a slim 29-28 lead at the break.

At the half, the Crusaders were shooting an even 50 percent from the field, while the Saints were shooting 40.7 percent. Capital also held a 16-14 advantage in rebounding in the first half.

The Saints opened the second half on a 6-2 scoring run, as all six points came from the foul line. Thomas More then gained its first double digit lead of the game at 45-34, before Capital put together a 9-2 scoring run to narrow the deficit to four points with 11:47 remaining, prompting a Saints timeout.

Following the timeout, the Saints tacked on a pair of three-point shots, both part of a 6-2 scoring run. The Crusaders then pulled to within one possession of the Saints at 55-52 with 7:41 left in the game, but to no avail, as Thomas More recorded a 6-0 run coming off three straight layups.

Solid free throw shooting and control of the defensive rebounds led to the Saints tallying a 12-point road victory over the Crusaders to open the season.

Leading the way for Capital was senior forward/center Andrew Bolka (Xenia, Ohio), who scored a game-high 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting, while also pulling in a game-high 17 rebounds.

Junior guard Charles English (Cincinnati, Ohio) followed with 12 points on a four-of-eight shooting mark, including a perfect four-of-four from the foul line.

Senior forward/center Ben Danhoff (Clyde, Ohio) posted a solid game off the bench for the Crusaders, totaling eight points on a perfect four-of-four from the field. He also added four rebounds.

For the game, Thomas More led the contest with an even 49 percent shooting mark from the field, including eight-of-16 shots made from behind the arc and 18-of-23 made free throws. Capital shot 48.2 percent from the field, failing to convert on 14 three-point shot attempts, while shooting 10-of-15 from the foul line.

Up next for the Crusaders is a home matchup against nonconference opponent Wittenberg on Nov. 18. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at the Capital Center.