SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic men's basketball team traveled across the Sunshine State for a conference matchup at Saint Leo.

The Sailfish looked to pick up a big win over the Lions to build momentum as the regular season winds down. PBA sought revenge over Saint Leo after dropping a game at home to the Lions in January. The Sailfish defense came to play tonight, slowing down a potent Saint Leo offense that entered the game averaging over 80 points per game. The 'Fish held the hosts to 66 points, picking up a 72-66 victory.

Grant Ledford led PBA with 17 points and seven rebounds. Trent McNair scored 16 points with four assists and three steals. Jamaal Walker added 14 points and five rebounds. Will Lee tallied 12 points with three assists and two steals. Marcus Montalvo finished with nine points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Grant Ledford carried most of the offensive load for PBA in the first half, putting up 15 points. The game was tied at 25 with 2:34 to play. Some costly turnovers allowed the Sailfish to make a run. A jumper from Montalvo, an old-fashioned three-point play from Ledford, and a layup from Lee put PBA in front 32-25 with 39 seconds to play in the half. SLU answered with a 3-pointer, but the Sailfish matched it as Trent McNair knocked down a buzzer-beater to send PBA to halftime with a 35-28 lead.

The PBA offense converted on 54 percent of its attempts in the first half. The Sailfish took care of the ball in the half, only turning it over three times.

The Sailfish started the second half strong, forcing more Lions turnovers to build a double-digit lead. McNair, Lee, and Walker took over some of the work offensively. McNair tallied 11 points, while Lee and Walker scored eight points each. The 'Fish held their double-digit lead throughout the second half, but with two minutes to play, the hosts made a run. Two 3-pointers and a free throw quickly made it a four-point game with 40 seconds to go. PBA missed a free throw down the stretch, but Lee made a big play, swiping a pass and converting on a layup to push the lead back to six with 24 seconds to go. The 'Fish got one stop on defense, and Montalvo iced the game at the line to secure the 72-66 win for PBA.

The Sailfish outshot SLU 48 percent to 43 percent in the game. SLU won the rebounding battle 38-28, but PBA made up for it by forcing 14 Lions turnovers, leading to 20 points. PBA totaled eight turnovers as a team. 

PBA plays its last home game of the regular season on Saturday against Embry-Riddle. Senior night at Rubin Arena starts at 4 p.m.