Lions Ledger: Basketball Prepares for Holiday Action; Swimming Heads to Four-Day Invite

Dec 16, 2021

Live Coverage |

RECORDS: Saint Leo (2-4) | No. 20 Tampa (5-1) | No. 16 Nova Southeastern (4-1) | Lenoir-Rhyne (1-2) Indian River State (2-1)
Saint Leo heads to Clearwater to compete in the Spartan Invite following a four-week break from competition. The Lions last competed on Nov. 21 at the UT Aquatics center against the Spartans, who survived the Green and Gold's efforts, 114.5-67.5.
Hampus Lovinge, Carlos Nava, Jakub Kwasny, and Szymon Leszega won the 400 medley and 200 medley races. Meanwhile, individually, all four members of the relay team had first place finishes. Nava won the 200 freestyle, Kwasny topped all competition in the 100 butterfly, Leszega won the 100 freestyle, and Lovinge took first in the 100 backstroke.
Video of the four-day Spartan Invite will be available online at https://sunshinestateconference.tv/saintleo/

RECORDS: RV Saint Leo (3-3) | No. 10 Tampa (6-0) | No. 7 Nova Southeastern (4-0) | Lenoir-Rhyne (2-2) | West Florida (3-2) | Indian River State (2-1)
Saint Leo returns to the pool following a four-week hiatus from competition. The Lions swam last at then No. 12 Tampa on Nov. 21. The Spartans topped Saint Leo 145-40 inside the UT Aquatics Center.
Vittoria Bonsanti Feniello is coming off a first place with in the 200 freestyle (1:53.99) and a second place finish in the 500 freestyle (5:06.80)
Sophomore Szymon Leszega took home the two sprint freestyle events. He blazed downed the pool in the 50 free in 21.82 before claiming the 100 free in 46.74. He also took part in the winning 400 medley and 200 freestyle relays.
Elze Bielskute took second place at Tampa in the 100 freestyle, clocking in a time of 53:05.
Video of the four-day Spartan Invite will be available online at https://sunshinestateconference.tv/saintleo/

RECORDS: Saint Leo (5-4) | Southern New Hampshire (8-1) | Lake Superior State (2-6)
Saint Leo enters the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel Classic hot after upsetting Texas A&M International last Saturday, 89-80. The Lions' non-conference victory handed the South Central fifth-ranked Dustdevils their first loss of the season. The Green and Gold saw non-other-than their junior guard, Amanda Ulrich, record a season-high 32 points. Ulrich closed the game going 9-for-17 (.529) from the floor which displayed sharp shooting from downtown going 5-for-6. At the charity stripe, she was nearly perfect going 9-for-10. In addition, the Secaucus, N.J. native earned five rebounds, four assists, a block, and four steals. Ulrich's work captured her second all-time Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Player of the Week honor, her first of the 2021-22 season.
On the season, Ulrich paces the Lions' offense with an average of 17.8 points per game (ppg) followed by Ayanna Trigg (10.6), Alex Button (10.4), and Tori Lesko (10.3). Off the boards, Ayanna Trigg leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game (rpg). The graduate student from Tampa, Fla. also enters the week with 14 steals and is shooting an impressive .609-percent from the hardwood. Lesko enters the classic leading the team in assists with 41 followed by Kiki Mcintyre with 21.
SNHU travels down to the Sunshine State in hopes to extend a six-game winning streak. Last week, the Penmen took care of Bentley, 65-53, and Felician, 89-71.
LSSU's offense is led by Margot Woughter who averages 12.5 ppg followed closely by teammates Makenzie Bray (11.4) and Mattison Rayman (11.3). Rayman also leads the Lakers off the glass just shy of double digit rebounds with 9.6 per game.
HISTORY: The last and only meeting between the Lions and Penmen was over seven years ago on Nov. 28, 2014. The Penmen handed the Lions their first loss of the season in the first day of the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic in a final score of 80-60. (https://saintleolions.com/news/2014/11/28/11_28_2014_4041.aspx)
Lake Superior State looks to snap a two-game losing skid after a pair of losses to Michigan Tech (92-51) and Northern Michigan (78-50).
Adriana Timberlake leads the Penmen's offense with 14.4 ppg. She is joined in scoring double digits by Gyanna Russell (13.9), Meg Knollmeyer (12.6), and Karlee Ziliak (11.4). Knollmeyer averages a double-doubles as team's leading rebounder with 13.1 rpg. Meanwhile, Timberlake (28 assists), Jenna Roche (27), and Ziliak (20) are the season's main playmakers.
HISTORY: Saturday, Dec. 18 marks the first historic women's basketball meeting.

RECORDS: Saint Leo (5-4) | Cedarville (5-4) | Le Moyne (5-5)
Saint Leo returned to the win column in style Thursday evening in the Marion Bowman Activities Center in a dominate 70-57 non-conference victory over Fort Lauderdale. Robert Fry II and Jared Coomer each recorded career-high in the win. Fry broke out a career-high 24 points going 6-for-9 and just shy of perfect on the free throw line going 12-for-13. Meanwhile, J. Coomer tallied his career-high with 23 points going 9-for-13, 1-for-2 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-for-4 on the line.
On the season, J. Coomer and Frank Webb Jr. leads the Green and Gold offense averaging 12.4 points per game (ppg) apiece. J. Coomer enters the tournament with an impressive .536-percent from the field. Joining J. Coomer and Webb Jr. in scoring double digits is teammates Wade Coomer with 12.3 ppg and Francis Sio with 11.7 ppg. Just shy of the double digit average is Grant Disken with 9.6 ppg.
Off the iron, Webb Jr. leads the Lions with 8.5 rebounds per game (rpg) and has compiled a team-high 46 assists. The senior guard from Baltimore, Md. also paces the team's defensive efforts with 33 steals.
Cedarville was handed its' first loss since Nov. 20 on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets look to bounce back from the heartbreaking 58-57 loss to No. 15 Hillsdale in day one of the Florida Southern Classic against Saint Leo.
The Yellow Jackets' deep offense is paced by Branden Mcughmer averaging 20.6 points per game (ppg) followed by Quinton Green (16.0), Isaiah Speelman (11.1), and Conner TenHove (10.6).
Off the boards, TenHove leads the team with 6.9 rpg helped by Maughmer with 6.6. Defensively, Maughmer and Green lead Cedarville with 19 and 14 steals, respectively. Meanwhile, teammate Kollin Van Horn has tallied seven blocks in seven games.
HISTORY: The last and only times the two program's met for a men's basketball tip-off was on Dec. 19, 2018, also at the Mocs Christmas Classic. Three years ago, the Yellow Jackets stung the Lions 77-70 following a slow start for the Green and Gold inside the Jenkins Field House.
Le Moyne and Saint Leo will tip-off in day two of the Mocs Christmas Classic. The Dolphins enter the tournament looking to shake off a pair of losses last week to No. 3 Mercyhurst (74-62) and Lake Erie College (79-65).
The Dolphins offense flexes four averaging double digit points in Luke Sutherland (15.5), Christian Davis (15.0), Kevin Constant (12.2), and Nino Hernandez (11.4). Davis also leads the team in rebounds with an average of 6.7 after 10 starts for Le Moyne.
HISTORY: The Dolphins and Lions last met on Nov. 25, 2017 for the first and only time during the Terrace Hotel Thanksgiving Classic in Lakeland, Fla. Four years ago, No. 13 Le Moyne defeated Saint Leo, 91-82, despite the Lions' Junior Searcy's career-high performance.

Print Friendly Version