SAINT LEO, Fla. – What was meant to be an exciting night turned to disappointment Tuesday night, as the second-seeded Saint Leo University Men's basketball team fell to seventh-seeded Rollins College 76-66 in the Sunshine State Conference Quarterfinals at the Marion Bowman Activities Center.
 
Saint Leo (22-10, 13-7 SSC) was unable to go ahead of Rollins (15-14, 10-10- SSC) at any point in the contest, as the Tars maintained a predominantly single-digit lead.  Despite trailing, the Lions outshot RC 47% to 46% with ten less shot attempts.  The Green & Gold had a tough night from long range, only shooting 27.3%.
 
Fifth-year forward Marty Jackson continued to be a dominant force in the paint, tallying 16 points shooting 80% from the field.  Freshman guard Logan Ryan played the most minutes in a game of his season (39 minutes) and posted 15 points, including 4-for-7 from beyond the perimeter.
 
Once again, the Lions struggled at home to limit the Tars from long range, allowing 45% on the night.
 
Rollins built a 13-4 lead to start the game before Saint Leo kept pace to maintain a single-digit difference and dwindle the deficit to three at the half (37-34).
 
On the first possession of the second half, Ryan cashed in on an And1 that tied the game for the second time in the night.  The Lions matched baskets against the Tars two more times, as Ryan's 3-ptr, tied the game 42-42 before guard Kanon Koster knocked down two good free throws on the ensuing offensive possession for a 44-44 score line.
 
Unfortunately for Saint Leo, the Tars' scoring attack caught a second wind and pushed a lead as large as 13 (69-56) late in the game.
 
While the Lions denied Rollins a field goal in the final 3:09, the Blue & Yellow iced the game with free throws to ultimately prevail 76-66.


 
On the bubble for the NCAA South Regional tournament, the Green & Gold will find out Sunday in the NCAA DII Selection Show if its season will continue.
 
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.