By Asha Henfield, Contributing Writer
On a night that celebrated and crowned triumph, the Saint Leo Lions men’s basketball team showcased their talents against the Florida Tech Panthers at the Marion Bowman Activities Center on Saturday. In this game, the Lions gave their farewell to five seniors, namely, Grant Disken, Cantia Rahming, Kanon Koster, Jeremy Sanchez, and Chase Freymiller, before the match took an unexpected turn to become one of excitement.
The very stage was almost ready for the performance of the year, fans packed the stands ready to watch the Lions’ last challenge of the season. Right from the first interception, both sides became extremely intense at every foul. The twinkling of excitement filled the air as the Lions and Panthers fought each other close on the basketball court.
According to the Athletic Department’s website, in the initial half, the Panthers got in the lead by the end of the first half, at 49-42. Nevertheless, the Lions, not to give up, simply followed their team leaders to stage a come-back in the second half. Having captain, Grant Disken, the quiet scorer, on their team, who finished the night sitting with 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting to keep his team in contention, the Lions kept fighting their way back to victory.
Cantia Rahming became the leading scorer in the post with 12 points and 9 rebounds to ultimately be the seal of the Lion’s comeback. With two minutes on the clock, the Lions sprung a furious comeback, scoring 39 points against the Panthers who, in response, could only add 16. The dramatic late-game surge had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
An important contribution that was made by a substitute player, Kanon Koster who made 11 points and got 3 steals during the game, and another player that plays defense and go for hustle, Alex Sherwood who bossed 3 blocks during the game, were both instrumental in the Lions’ win. Despite the team holding high-pressure situations and sustaining their composure under the stress, they led the 67-65 being the winners of the Panthers.
In a worthy ode to the seniors who were leaving, the Lions, with their fighting spirit and grit, put on a show which stirred the crowd and left everybody going ‘Wow!’
In the words of my classmate, sophomore psychology major Anna-Marie Jordan, “It was an amazing experience to feel hearts beating in synch among the team.” The atmosphere in the stadium was just great.” Correspondingly, Nikki, the sophomore Criminal Justice student believed the team’s spirit in the second half, to triumph over momentary disappointments, was remarkable, as she stated, “In the second half, the way the team was able to uplift themselves was amazing.”
They dominated the duel to record their tenth win, with a record of 10 wins and 16 losses in overall matches, including 5 losses and 13 wins in conference, and for the Panthers, they were their fifteenth win with an equivalent of 15 wins and 10 losses and 8 wins with 10 losses in conference duels. Coach Lance Randall proudly talked about his team’s sensational game and the team’s undeniable growth, especially as the senior’s displayed courage and determination that would remain in the team’s history.
Moving on, on Wednesday Feb. 28, the Lions are going home against the Fighting Knights of Lynn University. On the brink of the winding up of the regular season, the Lions are gearing up to strengthen their chances and enter the postseason play with an optimistic start.
The ending of the Saint Leo Lions’ rivalry against the Florida Tech Panthers, parting with seniors, symbolized a complete battle with courage and faithfulness, and triumphantly won. While they are getting ready to face up against Lynn University, the Lions’ only goal is to finish the season with their strongest states.
