MELBOURNE, FLA. – Saint Leo University men's basketball battled till the end in a 78-65 loss to undefeated Florida Tech (7-0, 2-0 SSC) on Saturday afternoon. The Lions dropped to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in SSC play.
 
The Lions faced a challenging match against the Florida Tech Panthers on Saturday afternoon, at the Charles & Ruth Clemente Center in Melbourne, FL. The Lions battled hard but ultimately fell short, as the Panthers secured a 78-65 victory.
 
In the first half, the Lions struggled to find their rhythm, shooting 37% from the field and 28% from beyond the arc. Grant Disken led the Lions' offensive efforts, finishing the game with an impressive 24 points, connecting on 8-of-17 field goals, including 3-of-8 from three-point range. Cantia Rahming contributed 15 points, showcasing efficiency by going 6-of-9 from the field.
 
Despite their efforts, the Lions faced a halftime deficit of 48-34, with the Panthers displaying a strong offensive performance. The Lions tightened their game in the second half, shooting 42% from the field and 42% from three-point range. Logan Ryan and Alex Sherwood provided additional scoring for the Lions, finishing with 11 and 5 points, respectively.
 
The Panthers, however, maintained their lead throughout the game, with Chase Thompson leading their scoring efforts with 21 points. The Lions faced challenges in containing the Panthers' offensive efforts, with David McCullough contributing 20 points and Elias Martin adding 13.

Head Coach Lance Randall with thought after the game: "Florida tech did a great job defensively tonight. They dominated the paint against us on both ends. We need to do a better job getting stops in the second Half but really struggled to establish rhythm on either sides of the ball. We got some good battle from some of our guys but not enough production to overcome a pretty good undefeated Florida Tech team tonight."
 
Despite the loss, the Lions showed improvements in the second half, narrowing the point differential, and demonstrating their ability to adapt to the game's flow. As the Lions continue their season, they aim to build on these experiences, learning and growing as a team.
 
Saint Leo is back in action next week at Tampa (Dec. 9) before heading to Wisconsin for the Saint Leo Classic at JustAGame Fieldhouse Wisconsin Dells. In Wisconsin, the Lions are scheduled to take on Maryville (Dec. 18) and Lake Superior State (Dec. 19). Saint Leo is set to close out 2023 at Rollins (Dec. 30).

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.