DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's basketball team dropped its Sunshine State Conference (SSC) opener on the road Saturday evening, falling 104–80 to Embry-Riddle.

Head coach Spencer Henke stated, "Extremely disappointed with tonight's result. I thought that we had a really good week of preparation leading up to the game but ultimately when the bright lights came on we didn't execute that plan. I truly felt like we beat ourselves more than anything by not doing what we were supposed to do".

The Lions saw the Eagles hit eight first-half three-pointers to build a 49–32 halftime lead. Saint Leo battled throughout the second half, but Embry-Riddle continued its shooting from beyond the arc as it finished 16-for-35 beyond the arc.

Henke also stated, "It was good to see Owen, Donovan and Dominic battle. We need a more continuous effort and battle from everyone on the floor that matches those three. We will get back to the drawing board and try to get out of this on Tuesday night. Lot of season left and the most important opportunity for us is Tuesday - another chance to respond".

Saint Leo boasted a few strong performances as senior Donovan Hill led the Lions with 25 points, knocking down four threes while adding eight rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Dominic Commisso provided an efficient night inside, scoring 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Sophomore Camden Cerese added 14 points and five rebounds while senior Owen Pawlikowski contributed 12 points, seven boards, and five assists.

Saint Leo finished with 10 made threes and shot 45% from the field while grabbing 30 rebounds.

The Lions are back in action on Tuesday, November 25 as it hosts Webber International (Fla.) in a non-conference bout, starting at 2 p.m.