Wisconsin Dells, WI - In a hard-fought battle that extended into overtime, the Saint Leo Lions came up just short against the Lake Superior State Lakers, with a final score of 74-65. The Lions, now 6-5 on the season and 1-2 in the Sunshine State Conference, faced a tough challenge from the Lakers, who improved to 8-2 overall and 1-1 in the GLIAC.
 
The Lions were led by the standout performance of Kanon Koster, who scored 19 points, showcasing his offensive abilities with a 7-of-15 shooting effort. Cantia Rahming also made significant contributions, recording a double-double with 10 points and an impressive 14 rebounds. Despite their efforts, the Lions couldn't capitalize in overtime, ultimately falling to the Lakers.
 
The game unfolded as a tightly contested battle, marked by six tie-ups and three lead changes. The Lions dominated in the paint, racking up 42 points compared to the Lakers' 22, and displayed prowess in fast-break opportunities, accumulating 14 points.
 
The Lions and Lakers went into overtime notched up 59-59, but the Lakers were able to outscore the Lions 15-6 in the extra period.
 
The Lions were able to get some valuable minutes off the bench from Greyson Pritzl and Jospeh Locandro scoring 12 and 8 respectively.
 
Head Coach Lance Randall after the tough OT loss:
 
"That was a good battle against an excellent Lake Superior State team. I anticipate them being an NCAA tournament quality squad at the end of the year."
 
"Despite going 2 for 22 from three, very poor defensive execution in the 2nd half and missing some free throws, we still had more than enough chances to win that game and regulation. We missed Grant tonight due to a stomach ailment."
 
"If you want to beat good teams, you must do little things well every possession, we didn't do that this afternoon with any consistency in the second half. We must be more focused on the commitment to being great at little things when we come back from Christmas break."

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The opportunity for the Lions to host this tournament was important with many players and coaches being from the Midwest. The Lions will head into the holiday break and look to bounce back as they resume play on Saturday December 30^th, 2023. They'll head into conference play and take on Rollins College as they look to go on a run in a competitive Sunshine State Conference. Tip-off is slated to begin at 4:00 PM.

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.