WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. –The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team looked to increase its winning streak to four when it traveled to face Saint Leo on Saturday night.
 
After a competitive start to the game, the Sailfish took control midway through the first half and stayed in command for the rest of the evening. PBA (10-3, 3-2 Sunshine State Conference) seemed to shake its troubles from the free throw line as the 'Fish shot 80 percent from the charity stripe on 31 attempts on their way to an 89-76 win over Saint Leo (9-5, 3-3 SSC).
 
PBA benefitted from a balanced attack on offense as six players accounted for double-digits against the Lions. Dan Largey led the 'Fish in scoring for the second game in a row with 20 points and eight rebounds. De'Ondre Jackson was right behind him with 19 points and nine boards of his own. Jules Jasmin added 14 points and five rebounds while Darhius Nunn facilitated the offense with a team-high four assists and 13 points. Malek Barber finished with 10 points and five rebounds and Justin Nichelson tallied 11 points off the bench.
 
The Sailfish played one of their most complete halves of basketball to start the game. The game was tightly contested through the first 10 minutes of play, but PBA began to pull away to close the half. An 11-0 run by the 'Fish including four points from Jackson and a 3-pointer from Nichelson gave PBA a 25-14 lead. The Sailfish did not concede a point to the Lions for over five minutes during the run.
 
With five minutes remaining in the first period, the Sailfish continued to add to their lead. With PBA leading 30-23, the 'Fish ended the half on a 13-1 run including 3-pointers from Nichelson and Jackson along with an old-fashioned 3-point play from Largey. A buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the logo by Nunn put the exclamation point on the half and gave PBA a 43-24 lead.
 
PBA's stout defense had a strong showing in the first half, holding Saint Leo to a 35 percent field goal percentage and forcing eight turnovers which led to 14 Sailfish points. The 'Fish also outrebounded Saint Leo 20-16 in the half.
 
Saint Leo did its best to cut into the Sailfish lead after the break. Through the opening minutes of the second half, the Lions cut the deficit to 12 with 11 minutes remaining. Minutes later, the Sailfish responded with a 7-0 run capped off by a breakaway dunk from Barber and a triple from Largey to take a 73-52 lead.
 
The Sailfish kept their distance from the Lions from the rest of the game. Saint Leo attempted to mount a comeback, cutting the lead to 13 after a put-back dunk and four free throws; however, it was too little too late for the hosts as PBA held on for the 89-76 win.
 
PBA's defense held Saint Leo to 40 percent shooting from the field in the game. The Sailfish shot 50 percent from the field, including a 10-for-23 performance from beyond the 3-point line. 
 
The 'Fish return home to face Barry on Wednesday. The game at Rubin Arena is scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.