SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's basketball team opened its 2025–26 campaign in impressive fashion on Friday night, defeating reigning Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Champion Savannah State, 78–68, inside the Marion Bowman Center. The Lions never trailed in the matchup and secured the season-opening victory.

Saint Leo set the tone early, jumping out to a 10–2 lead and carrying a 37–28 advantage into halftime. The Lions continued to dictate the pace in the second half, stretching the lead to as many as 16 before closing out the win in front of 372 home fans.

Senior Donovan Hill led the way with a strong all-around performance, posting 17 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Junior guard Luther Smith Jr. provided a major spark off the bench, scoring a team-high 19 points, including four three-pointers. Sophomore Camden Cerese added 15 points while going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, and sophomore Dominic Commisso delivered 10 points and four rebounds.

Saint Leo boasted a bench contributing 26 points. Additionally, the Lions capitalized on Savannah State turnovers, turning 13 giveaways into 20 points.

Saint Leo returns to action, tomorrow, Saturday November, 15 as it hosts Clark Atlanta in a non-conference bout, starting at 7 p.m.