SAINT LEO, Fla. – The second-seed Saint Leo men's basketball team's strong start carried the Lions over the third-seed Florida Tech Panthers, 78-68, in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) semifinals held in the Marion Bowman Activities Center. The victory raises the Green and Gold's record to 6-1, along with giving the program home court advantage as the 2021 SSC Tournament Championship hosts.
 
"It was another gritty grinder for this group," expressed head coach Lance Randall. "They just keep getting better and better defensively. We got a lot of great contributions from a lot of guys."

Frank Webb Jr. led the offensive onslaught recording a double-double with game-high 18 points and team-high 10 rebounds. The senior shooting guard went 4-for-7 from the field, including a 2-for-2 from beyond the circle, and a perfect 8-for-8 at the charity stripe.  He was joined in double digit scoring by Gintaras Bartaskas with 15 points, Grant Disken with 11 points, and Jared Coomer and Cantia Rahming with 10 points apiece. Jared Coomer helped the Lions off the glass with nine rebounds.

"Frank was phenomenal on defense. He shutdown Russel, who came in as a leading scorer in the conference for the Panthers. We got some big baskets from Grant, Wade, Gintaras and Frank, who knocked down his free throws and had some stellar passes."
 
Saint Leo pulled away in the first half off of a 10-0 run at 10:13 bringing the score to 20-8. The Lions were able to increase their double-digit lead with a 7-0 run coming from a pair of free throws by Jared Coomer, a jumper by Disken, and a Rusty Moorer three-pointer. The series of runs electrified the Green and Gold and increased their advantage over the Panthers, 27-10. Florida Tech managed to slim the gap a little, but Saint Leo still went into halftime up by 14 at 33-19.
 
The opponents exchanged baskets with score remaining around a baker's dozen. Disken's three-pointer propelled the Lions 46-28. Wade Coomer snagged a defensive rebound while Rahming sunk a jumper to record the Lions largest lead of the game, 46-28 at 15:38. The Panthers responded with a seven-point stretch to keep the game interesting. Things got a little too close, as Florida Tech's fight chipped away at the Lion's lead to four points, 52-48 at 7:51.
 
"We had a great defensive stretch during the second half which allowed us to open the lead back up," said Randall. "Florida Tech had a really good night off the glass, especially early. We survived missing a ton of point-blank range dunks and layups and also some opportunities on the front end of the game at the line. Our execution was poor at best, but we have a toughness and a competitiveness which allowed up to overcome those mistakes."
 
The Saint Leo offense got its groove back beyond the arc. A trio of three-pointers in less than 90 seconds set the tone for the remainder of the game. After a number of visits to the line for both teams and exchanging buckets inside the paint, Saint Leo made it official, capturing a 78-68 decision to host the SSC Championship.
 
"I know we will be better on Sunday and ready to go with championship-level focus and toughness versus an excellent Florida Southern team," concluded Randall.
 
Up Next
Second seeded Saint Leo will host fourth seeded Florida Southern in the SSC Tournament Championship on Sunday, March 21 at 4 p.m. in the Marion Bowman Activities Center. 

For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women'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.
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, holding competitions without fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.