By Asha Henfield, Contributing writer
Saint Leo Lions men’s basketball team failed to defend its home in a battle against Rollins College Tars, conceding a 93-74 loss on Wednesday night. This match exhibited an exhibition of top-notch competition and outstanding plays from the two teams that demonstrated the players’ skills and willpower on the court.
Rollins College got an early advantage, though, taking a 46-36 lead in the first half. Matheus Silveira pushed the Rollins offensive with his good 25 points and 8 rebounds counting on Kyle Marion and Sergey Grishaev who chipped-in with 18 and 16 points each, showing Rollins’ scoring depth.
Despite the team being behind by a considerable deficit, the Lions showed grit and perseverance all through the match.
“We were hoping that the Lions could be stronger after the break,” freshman psychology major Cheyenne Houkes said.
Brandon Rahming, a sports management freshman, along with another spectator, shared the same sentiment.
“The air in the arena was electric, and all of us were urging the Lions to make a comeback,” Rahming said, stressing the cheer on in spite of the struggle.
Joseph Locandro, in a man-of-the-match performance with 16 points, and Cantia Rahming, who scored 14 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, led the Lions, but they failed to turn the tide. Kanon Koster’s 13 points were yet another way the team’s offensive prowess was on display and the players’ refusal to give up until they heard the final buzzer.
However, the Lions’ attempts to keep Rollins’ offense at bay did not help, especially in the second half where Rollins maintained the lead and kept extending it. The Lions, although losing a tough game, proved that they can compete on a high level and show just the right character in face of difficulties.
The Lions take a small break in play before meeting Florida Southern on Feb. 14. The next matchup will allow the team to reassemble, take stock and where necessary make the relevant alterations as they seek to rise from the defeat against Rollins.
