ABOVE: Three Rivers' Marquise Carter goes for a basket in the lane against John A. Logan in Carterville, Ill. on Tuesday. Carter scored 31 points. (Alex Abate/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- Marquise Carter had a solid game for the Raiders on Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough.

The redshirt freshman scored a game-high 31 points but John A. Logan College held the rest of the Raiders to just 36 points for a 72-67 win.

"We just couldn't establish any offense," Raiders coach Gene Bess said. "They took us out of everything we did."

The Raiders have now lost two of their last three trips to Logan, having split the last two season series with the Vols. The teams will meet again Nov. 18 at the Bess Activity Center.

Logan tied the game at 48-48 with 8:38 remaining and the took the lead at 52-49 after a pair of free throws by Antwond Roshell. The Volunteers took the lead for good with 3:36 remaining thanks to a free throw and a subsequent hoop from Devonte Maymon.

Carter scored 13 of the Raiders last 16 points, all of those coming with less than seven minutes remaining. His 31-point total was the highest since Dominitrix Johnson scored 35 against Wabash Valley on Dec. 2, 2005.

"He is a good one at breaking the defense down and beating them off the drive," Bess said. "We have just got to start getting more players involved obviously because we need to use Marquise as kind of a last option rather than a first option."

The Raiders (2-1) led 31-29 at the break and expanded it midway through the second half Aloysius Henry made a basket from the right block at the 12:45 mark and Carter scored a 3-pointer on the next possession. After a pair of missed free throws from Logan, Carter scored on a drive to the basket and Nick Niemczyk gave the Raiders a 48-39 lead with a 3-pointer from the right corner with 11:03 left before the Volunteers made their charge.

The game started with Three Rivers jumping out to an early lead. With the Volunteers ahead 3-2, Niemczyk nailed a 3-pointer from straight away and David Prater scored on a baseline drive to make it 7-3. Carter drained a 3-pointer from the left wing and Henry finished the run with a putback after an offensive rebound that made it 12-5 with 11:54 left in the first half.

Freshman guard Nick Niemczyk looks to shake John A. Logan's Russell Moore on Tuesday night in Carterville. (Alex Abate/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

"Anytime that Aloysius caught the ball around the basket, he scored," Bess said. "But, we couldn't get it to him or he couldn't get open."

The Raiders got outrebounded on the night 37-29, many of them coming down the stretch at important times.

"They got a big free throw rebound that I just couldn't believe," Bess said. "That is an area that you have just got to rebound. Everything is set out there so you have to figure out how to get every missed free throw."

After Carter's 31, the next closest Raider was Jeffery Shelton who had eight while the trio of Niemczyk, Josh Terry and Henry each added six.

"We are just not real mature on the offensive end," Bess said. "We haven't learned yet how to pass and cut and stir people around. Our offense is based upon cutting."

An early loss is something the team can build on. Last year, Three Rivers' first loss was to Logan at home after a 10-0 start while the 2006-07 team that advanced to the NJCAA Tournament lost two of their first four games.

"Any game like this is a learning situation because we have got so much more development that we have to do," Bess said.

The schedule only get tougher for the Raiders as the season rolls on.

"We really need to gear up because Southeastern (Illinois) is better than John A. Logan and we have to go over there on Saturday night," Bess said.

Notes: The Raiders were 22-of-25 from the free-throw line as compared to 26-of-42 for the Volunteers. … The Raiders shot 31.3 percent from inside the 3-point line while John A. Logan finished at 43.5 percent. … Carter was the lone Raider in double figures while John A. Logan had three in the category with Matt Lander and Kenny Harris leading the way with 14 each.