ORANGE, Calif. – A rough start to the 2017-18 season as the Saint Leo men's basketball didn't get many shots away and Point Loma Nazarene University made sure the Lions didn't get many second looks either, as the Lions dropped a 62-53 decision to Point Loma in Friday's opening game of the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic.

The Lions fired at a 33.3 percent clip from the floor, only slightly off Point Loma's 36.8 percent, but Saint Leo was held to just 51 shots from the field – tied for the third-lowest number of field goal attempts during the Vince Alexander era.
Point Loma controlled the glass and outrebounded Saint Leo 51 to 25, including 32 defensive boards for the Sea Lions. Saint Leo had only five offensive rebounds in the game.

Saint Leo rallied from an early 20-8 deficit in the first half, and outscored Point Loma in the early minutes of the second half to take a 31-30 lead with 15:24 remaining. The Sea Lions responded with an 8-0 run and led the rest of the way.
Newcomer Isaiah Hill paced Saint Leo with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting including a pair of three-pointers, while Tyreece Brice and Daniel Duarte chipped in with 11 apiece.

The Basics
Final Score:  Point Loma 62, Saint Leo 53
Location: Santiago Canyon College | Orange, Calif.
Records: Saint Leo 0-1 | Point Loma 1-0

How It Happened…
1H | Point Loma fought its way to a 20-8 lead by the 8:18 mark of the first half, before a jumper by Drago Popovic and a three by Hill got the Lions started on the comeback trail. Kyran McClure's only trey of the night brought Saint Leo to within five, and Jesse Huff matched with a three-pointer of his own to cut the Sea Lions' lead to two, 23-21, with 1:03 left in the half. A late bucket by Point Loma's Cameron Gilbert sent the Sea Lions into the locker room at the break with a four-point lead. | Point Loma 25-21 |
2H | Saint Leo's first two buckets of the second half were Duarte three-pointers to keep the Lions within striking distance. The Lions finally overtook Point Loma on a Huff trey, followed by a steal by Hill which led to a Huff layup and a Saint Leo lead, 31-30, with 15:24 showing. The Sea Lions responded with eight straight points, including a three by Noah Staples, to retake a 38-31 lead with 10:18 showing. Saint Leo got back to within three of Point Loma on a three-point bucket by Tyreece Brice with 9:44 to play, 39-36, but that would be as close as the Lions would get. A 7-0 run later in the half would stretch the Sea Lions' lead to 54-42 with 4:02 remaining, and the Point Loma lead touched double-digits several times over the remainder of the game. A pair of three-pointers by Duarte and Hill in the final 30 seconds gave some late life to the Lions, but the Sea Lions converted just enough of their free-throw attempts down the stretch to keep a Saint Leo rally in check.  | Point Loma 62-53 |

Points to Note

• Saint Leo is now 1-2 in season-openers under Head Coach Vince Alexander.
• Tyreece Brice paced the Lions in rebounding with seven, including a team-high two offensive and five defensive boards.
• Isaiah Hill dished out six assists in his debut for Saint Leo.
• Saint Leo went 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) from three-point range.
• The Lions' bench accounted for 24 of Saint Leo's 53 points in 85 total minutes played.

For Point Loma

• The win was Point Loma's first win in a season opener since 2014-15.
• Noah Staples paced the Sea Lions with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting with a pair of three-pointers.
• Sterling Somers had a team-high nine boards and eight assists.

Saint Leo continues its appearance in the Disney DII Tip-Off Classic on Saturday, Nov. 4, when it faces Humboldt State at 11:15 a.m. (PT). 

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo men's basketball, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.