SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's basketball team picked up an 88-83 victory at home versus Florida Tech on Saturday evening in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) action as senior guard Owen Pawlikowski registered a career-best 24 points.

Despite falling behind 6-2 early, the Lions battled back with nine consecutive points to hold an 11-6 advantage with 15:28 left. Eventually, the Green and Gold gained an eight-point lead (23-15) following a fastbreak layup by junior Elijah Harris. However, the Panthers tied the game 34-34 at the 2:34-mark. At halftime, the Lions maintained a slight 39-38 edge.

The second halftime featured five ties and six lead changes in addition to Florida Tech grasping a seven-point 55-48 advantage, its largest lead of the game. The Green and Gold executed a 28-10 run midway through the second frame that ended with a pair of free throws from senior Donovan Hill. The Panthers countered with a 14-4 run to gain an 80-78 edge. Pawlikowski connected on three clutch free throws that pushed the Lions in front 82-80 with less than 30 seconds remaining. The Saint Leo defense was stout in the closing second as it caused turnovers and limited the Panthers to bad shot selection to seal the win.

As a team, the Lions shot 48.4 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc in addition to converting 80.0 percent from the charity stripe.

Pawlikowski notched 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block. Hill finished with 17 points, seven boards, three assists, and three steals. Harris posted 11 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists while junior Jordan Ruggirello also recorded 11 points with three trays. Sophomore forward Dominic Commisso tallied 10 points and dished out one assist.

Saint Leo returns to the court on Wednesday, February 4 as it travels to take on Lynn in a conference bout, starting at 7:30 p.m.