SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo University Men's basketball team did not have the ideal night for its Sunshine State Conference opener Saturday, as the Lions were defeated by Florida Tech 82-66 at the Marion Bowman Activities Center.
 
Fifth-Year Forward Marty Jackson provided a silver lining for Saint Leo (2-2, 0-1 SSC), posting 24 points from a 10-for-18 performance, including a lone trey.  Redshirt Senior Guard Kanon Koster fell one board shy of a double-double, scoring 15 points shooting 53.8% from the floor.  Sophomore Guard Grant Disken remained perfect in shooting 50% or better this season, going 5-for-10 from the field including 2-for-4 from beyond the perimeter.
 
The Lions saw its only lead in the contest in the first minute with a Jackson layup before Florida Tech (3-0, 1-0 SSC) scored seven, straight points, en route to a 20-8 lead.  The Green & Gold bounced back with an 8-1 run to cut the Panthers' lead to five (21-16), fueled by consecutive 3-ptrs from Koster and Freshman Kendale Johnson.
 
While Florida Tech led 46-34 at the half, that did not stop Saint Leo from attempting to close the gap a second time.  Down 61-48 with 9:45 left, the Lions "Powered Forward," riding on the scoring talents of Jackson and Junior Forward Jared Coomer to bring the contest to a four-point difference (64-60) at the 5:14 mark.
 
Late in the contest, Florida Tech would douse the momentum with key 3-ptrs. from Niall Harris, Sean Houpt, and Sesan Russell that allowed the Panthers to ride out the rest of the contest on free throws and ultimately to an 82-66 win.
 
The Lions now hit the road, heading down US-98 South for Florida Southern's Thanksgiving Classic to face Parkside and Anderson (S.C.).  Tipoff against the Parkside Rangers is slated for Friday at 5:30 p.m.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on Saint Leo Men's Basketball, 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.