DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Saint Leo University men's basketball hit the road for its second Sunshine State Conference road contest of the season but this time the Lions were unable to overcome a slow first half. The Lions made the trip north to take on the Embry-Riddle Eagles as it looked to end a four-game losing streak. Saint Leo was pitted against a 7-2 Eagles squad riding a five-game win streak and a 3-0 start to open SSC play. Despite outscoring the Eagles in the second half (53-49) the Lions were unable to overcome a 12-point deficit at the half to drop a fifth straight game. Saint Leo falls to 4-6 overall and 1-3 in SSC play while Embry-Riddle improves to 8-2 overall and a perfect 4-0 in conference action.  

Saint Leo's offense was led by Tae Wilson (25) and Jaylan McElroy (21) who each scored 20+ points. Freshmen Brady Corso (15) and Camden Cerese (11) also added double digits for the Lions off the bench. McElroy led Saint Leo with eight boards as Logan Ryan brought down seven in the loss. Saint Leo went 18-for-21 from the charity stripe as Wilson was six-for-six and McElroy had a game-high seven in nine attempts.   

EMBRY-RIDDLE 96, SAINT LEO 88

• Saint Leo trailed 47-35 at halftime after struggling from three-point range, shooting just 9.1% (1-of-11) in the first half.
• The Lions scored 53 points in the second half, fueled by better shooting and aggressive play, but couldn't overcome the early deficit.
• Wilson led all scorers with 25 points on nine-of-12 shooting, adding six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
• McElroy posted 21 points and eight rebounds, contributing inside and from the free-throw line (seven-of-nine).
• Saint Leo hit only nine-of-29 from beyond the arc (20.7%), a key factor in the loss.
• The Eagles outscored the Lions 60-42 in the paint, with Yassin Hussein and Michael McCalister combining for 34 points inside.
• Corso added 15 points off the bench, connecting on three three-pointers to keep the Green & Gold within striking distance.
• Embry-Riddle won the rebounding battle 49-32, securing 20 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points.
• Saint Leo committed only eight turnovers but couldn't fully capitalize, scoring just 12 points off turnovers compared to Embry-Riddle's 15.
• The Lions cut the lead to five points in the final minutes, but Embry-Riddle's Jared Berry sealed the win with a fast-break layup.

UP NEXT
Saint Leo returns home to host the Hilton Garden Inn Classic next weekend before the Christmas holiday. The Lions will face Ashland at 5:30 p.m. on December 20, followed by Palm Beach Atlantic taking on Alaska Fairbanks. On December 21, the teams will switch opponents, with Saint Leo playing Alaska Fairbanks at 1 p.m.