Saint Leo University Athletics

TAMPA, Fla. – Saint Leo men's basketball watched a halftime lead slip away in the second half against Montevallo Sunday in the Bob Martinez Athletics Center for the GSC vs SSC Challenge.

In his second game in the Green and Gold, Yalen Reed helped lead the Lions (0-2) against the Falcons (1-1) with 14 points, tying Kyran McClure for a team-high in points. Isaiah Hill and Pape Ngom were close to double-digits with nine and eight points, respectively. McClure paced the Lions with six assists where Hill was the leading rebounder with six.

Saint Leo won the turnover battle, turning the ball over just 10 times to Montevallo's 20, but the lopsided foul count (27-15) allowed the Falcons to come back to defeat the Lions.
  
Montevallo saw five players in double-figures led by Jeremiah Curtis who notched 17 points off the bench.
 
How It Happened

• The Lions started off with a 5-0 lead after two free throws from Kyran McClure and a three-pointer from Junior Searcy.
• Saint Leo continued to hold an advantage, 8-3, after a Yalen Reed three.
• Montevallo used a 5-0 run to tie things at 8-8, before extending the run to 13-2 for a 16-11 lead with 10:35 to play  
• The Lions battled back to tie things at 22-22 before claiming the lead at 29-24 on an Isaiah Hill and-one opportunity.
• Saint Leo claimed a 38-32 lead at the break after a Gintaras Bartaskas three-pointer.
• Tyler Carter opened the second half for the Lions with a three pushing the lead to 41-32.
• Hill's fastbreak layup pushed the Green and Gold's lead to 10, 45-35 with 18:12 to play before the Falcons stormed back.
• Montevallo used a 11-0 run to take a one-point lead with 13 minutes to play, 46-45.
• Over the next two minutes, both teams would battle for a lead before the Falcons came out on top 49-48 with 11:36 to play, and never looked back.
• The Falcons pushed their lead to six points with 7:30 to play before a 10-point lead with 6-seconds to play.

Up Next
Saint Leo returns to the hardwood on Nov. 16-17 to host the Saint Leo Classic at the Marion Bowman Activities Center. The Lions welcome Tampa, West Florida, and Auburn-Montgomery for a four-team, two-day tournament.

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.