ST. LEO, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team ended 2021 with a road matchup against Saint Leo on New Year's Eve.

Freshman Jakob Hester turned in a historic performance for the Sailfish. His 27 points with six rebounds and two steals led the Sailfish to a 97-88 win over Saint Leo (5-6, 1-3 SSC). Hester went a perfect 13-for-13 from the field, joining teammate Jules Jasmin as the only player in PBA's DII-era to shoot a perfect 1.000 with a minimum of eight shot attempts. Today's win snapped a three-game skid for PBA (5-8, 3-2 SSC).

Will Lee aided Hester with an impressive 23 points of his own with seven assists, six rebounds four triples. Marcus Montalvo added 14 points off the bench with three assists and three 3-pointers. Alexander Gorton finished with nine points with four rebounds and two assists. Jasmin tallied eight points, three rebounds, and three assists. Jalen Cooper matched Jasmin's line with eight points, three boards, and three dimes of his own.

PBA's offense got off to its best start in over a month in today's game. Hester got to work early, scoring seven points in the first five minutes of play, including a pull-up 3-pointer to give the 'Fish a 17-12 lead. That bucket was part of a 14-1 run for PBA, capped off by a 3-pointer from Montalvo to give PBA a 26-13 lead through the first 10 minutes of action.

The hosts battled back to cut the deficit to five points with five minutes left in the first period as PBA went cold for a five-minute stretch. The Sailfish extended their lead thanks to a 7-0 run with two free throws and a layup from Gorton and a triple from Lee give the 'Fish a 42-28 lead with two and a half minutes to go in the first half. After the Lions chipped away at the lead, Lee kept the momentum on PBA's side with a 3-pointer that beat the halftime buzzer to give the Sailfish a 47-37 lead at the break.

Saint Leo stayed within striking distance of the Sailfish, but PBA never let its lead slip below six points. Every time it seemed like the Lions were gaining some momentum, the Sailfish took it right back. The Lions made their push with seven and a half minutes remaining. A layup, 3-pointer, and a mid-range jumper cut PBA's 13-point lead down to six with six minutes to go. Five straight points from Montalvo boosted the PBA lead to 11 again, but another 3-pointer and a pair of free throws made it a six-point game again with four minutes to go.

The Sailfish kept their composure down the stretch with a basket from Hester and a jumper from Jasmin made the PBA lead 85-75 with two and a half minutes to go. The Sailfish kept their distance from SLU for the rest of the contest, executing on their free throw attempts late in the game as the Lions began fouling. SLU score four unanswered points in garbage time, but PBA cruised to a 97-88 win.

The 'Fish outshot the Lions in the game 64 percent to 57 percent, including an efficient 73 percent performance from the field in the second half. PBA won the rebounding battle, 31-21, and made 17 of its 21 free-throw attempts which is its best performance all year.

The Sailfish play again on Sunday on the road against Tampa. The game in Tampa, Fla. takes place at 4 p.m.