SAINT LEO, Fla. – Junior guard Carlos Bell scored a career-high 25 points against in Auburn Montgomery's 83-72 setback to Saint Leo on Friday evening in men's basketball action, as the Lions converted 11 three-pointers en route to the 11-point victory over the Warhawks in their opening game of the 2018 Saint Leo Classic.
 
NOTES
• AUM falls to 1-2 on the season while Saint Leo improves to 1-2.
• This was the second meeting between the two programs.
• The Lions avenge a 91-71 loss to AUM on Dec. 16, 2016.
• The Warhawks are now 3-2 against Sunshine State Conference teams.
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Bell got to 25 on 7-14 shooting from the floor and 9-14 free throws. He also recorded a team-high three assists and two steals.
• Tre Hansbrough finished second on the team in scoring with 13 points off the bench. Hansbrough also had two assists in 18 minutes of action.
• Devorious Brown scored a season-high 10 points in 24 minutes of action, tallying two assists and two steals.
• Aaron Reddick led the way again in rebounding for AUM, tallying a season-high nine boards.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Lions took an early lead before AUM was able to tie the game on a Darrion Taylor layup at the 15:14 mark in the first to give each team 10 points apiece. Both teams went cold for the next three minutes, going scoreless until Bell made a pair of free throws to give the Orange & Black a 12-10 lead.
• After battling to a 14-14 tie with 12:03 until the break SLU proceeded to go on a 10-2 run over the next five minutes to take a 24-16 lead. AUM would go on a 10-6 run of their own to pull to within 31-26 on a Bell layup with 2:12 remaining in the first, but Saint Leo would outscore the Warhawks 9-4 over the closing minutes of the frame to take a 40-30 advantage into halftime.
• AUM scored the first four points of the second half and pulled to within six of the Lions on a Reddick jumper in the paint, but SLU responded with a 10-3 rally to go up 50-37 with 13:20 to play. The two teams would trade points over the next five minutes and Hansbrough would get the Warhawks to a single digit deficit at 62-53 with a 3-pointer.
• The Lions would push their lead to as much as 17 with four minutes to play, but Hansbrough would pull the Warhawks to within seven at 76-69 on a trey with 2:20 to play, but SLU would keep AUM at arm's length the rest of the way to win 83-72.
 
QUOTING THE COACH
"It was Saint Leo's first home game and we knew they were going to come out ready to play," said AUM head coach Michael Cheaney. "They came out with a lot of energy and we just didn't match it. We did a really good job on their two leading scorers but some other guys stepped for them. We let some other guys get some shots and build some confidence, and that's what hurt us."
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
• AUM outscored SLU 33-28 in the paint.
• The Lions' bench outscored AUM's 45-35.
• The Warhawks outscored Saint Leo 15-6 on fast breaks.
• Both teams shot 50 percent in the contest.
• Saint Leo won the rebound battle 34-29.
 
UP NEXT
The Warhawks will take on the University of Tampa tomorrow at the Saint Leo Classic. The two teams will tip off at 1 p.m. on the campus of the Lions.
 
For the latest on AUM athletics, find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.