SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team hit the road to face Saint Leo on Saturday evening.

The Sailfish (3-2, 1-2 SSC) looked to build off a big win against Rollins from Wednesday night, while the Lions (5-2, 2-1 SSC) were coming off a road with at No. 13 Embry-Riddle. Despite the Lions getting to the line in bunches in the first half, PBA hung with SLU. The hosts made some tweaks on offense and had a big second half. The Lions shot 81 percent from the field in the second half, leading to an 82-70 win.

Marcus Montalvo led PBA with 17 points, three assists, and two steals. Will Lee totaled 16 points with five assists and four rebounds. Ryan Claflin recorded 12 points with four triples. Jalen Cooper tallied 11 points with two blocks and two steals before fouling out. Aleksa Rakic scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds. 

The hosts got to the free throw line 19 times in the first half which made the difference in the first period. PBA matched the Lions in field goals and made two more threes, but Saint Leo held an eight-point advantage in free throws. Montalvo and Cooper led the scoring early in the game, but overall, the Sailfish struggled, shooting 36 percent in the half. Saint Leo led 37-31 in the first half.

PBA executed better on offense in the second half, but Saint Leo was running at peak efficiency. The Lions went 17-for-21 from the field which allowed the hosts to pull away. SLU did a lot of its dirty work in the paint, scoring half its points down low. Saint Leo pulled away for the 82-70 victory.

Although Saint Leo shot a high percentage, the Sailfish won the turnover battle 19-13. The Lions won the rebounding battle, 38-21. Saint Leo finished the night with 32 attempts at the charity stripe.

PBA returns home to host Johnson on Wednesday in a non-conference matchup. The game in Rubin Arena is set for 7 p.m.