SAINT LEO, Fla. – For the first time in program history, the Sunshine State Conference Tournament Title belongs to Saint Leo men's basketball. No easy feat, as they had to take down the 25-time and SSC tournament champions, Florida Southern College 83-70 Sunday afternoon inside the Marion Bowman Activities Center.
 
The Lions (7-1) took the title behind exceptional play from Rusty Moorer and Frank Webb Jr. Moorer and Webb Jr., both named to the SSC All-Tournament Team, put up double-digits as Moorer led all scorers with 28 on the night. Webb Jr. notched another double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, on the way to earning the Tournament Most Valuable Player honor.
 
Jared Coomer heard his name called for the all-tournament team after his performance throughout the tournament after helping the Lions clean the glass with a game-high 13 rebounds, 12 on the defensive front. Saint Leo claimed the rebounding battle 50-42.

Wade Coomer provided the spark the Green and Gold needed adding 11 points off the bench and hit clutch threes down the stretch to build the lead for the Lions.
 
Florida Southern (7-5) saw three players in double-figures led by Jalyn Hinton's 24. E.J. Drambreville led the Mocs in rebounding with 12 on the night. Brandon Carroll and DeAndre Campbell chipped in with 16 points and 11 points, respectively.

Joining Moorer, Webb Jr., and J. Coomer on the all-tournament team were Jalyn Hinton (Florida Southern), E.J. Dambreville (Florida Southern), and Sesean Russell (Florida Tech).
 
A tight first half saw both teams hold the lead and battle back to tie things up with seven lead changes and six ties in the opening 20 minutes. With under a minute to play, Wade Coomer hauled in a defensive board and brought the ball down the court. It would be Coomer who drained a three to push the Green and Gold ahead, 36-33, before knocking down a one-and-one at the free-throw line for a five-point lead, 38-33. The Moccasins' Hinton would answer with a three with 19-ticks left, but a 30-second timeout by the Lions drew up the perfect play. Moorer would pull up with one-second left and drain the three to make it a six-point advantage at the break, 41-35.
 
The Lions continued to push and hold onto their lead going up by eight, 47-39 before the Mocs picked up steam and used a 10-2 run to tie the title game up at 49. Over the next three minutes, Florida Southern would play from in front, trading buckets with Saint Leo for a 53-53 game with 12:27 to play. The Lions exploded for a quick 11-0 run forcing a timeout after a pair of free throws from Moorer, driving layup by Webb Jr., and back-to-back jumpers in the paint by Moorer to make it 64-53 at the 9:46 mark. The Mocs would cut it to eight but quickly turned into double-digits where the Lions cruised to the first tournament title 83-70.
 
2021 Sunshine State Conference Tournament Champions – Saint Leo University Lions
2021 Sunshine State Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player – Frank Webb Jr. (Saint Leo University)
2021 Sunshine State Conference All-Tournament Team:
            Rusty Moorer (Saint Leo University)
            Jared Coomer (Saint Leo University)
            Jalyn Hinton (Florida Southern College)
            E.J. Dambreville (Florida Southern College)
            Sesean Russell (Florida Institute of Technoloy)
 
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.

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.