MOUNT VERNON, Ga. — Southeastern men's basketball fell 96-91 to Life (Ga.) on Saturday afternoon at Life's home court, moving to 2-1 on the season.

The Fire came out strong in the opening half, building a 41-34 lead heading into the break. SEU shot 44.4% from the field and connected on eight three-pointers, with Anthony Kangah leading the way with 15 first-half points.

Kangah continued his strong performance from beyond the arc, finishing with a team-high 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting from three-point range. Jayson Nixon added 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Trent McNair and JJ Walton each contributed 13 points.

Life responded coming out of halftime, opening the second period with a three-pointer to cut into the deficit. The Running Eagles eventually took control, using a strong offensive performance to score 62 points in the second half while shooting 67.9% from the field.

Despite falling behind by as many as 12 points, SEU battled back into the contest. The Fire erased the deficit and briefly took a 92-91 lead with 1:17 remaining after consecutive three-pointers from J.R. Watson.

Life answered with a layup from Maurice Wright to regain the lead before Triston Conger converted two free throws in the final seconds to secure the 96-91 victory.

Wright and Conger led Life with 33 points apiece. Wright also recorded eight assists, while Conger finished a perfect 14-of-14 from the free-throw line. SEU finished the afternoon shooting 51.9% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range. The Fire also recorded 18 assists, with McNair and Junior Camacho each contributing four.

The Fire move to 2-1 on the season following the road matchup.