SAINT LEO, Fla. -- The Auburn University at Montgomery men's basketball team got 22 points, two rebounds, four steals, and a 12-for-12 effort at the free throw line from guard
Jalil Robinson as the Warhawks edged Saint Leo University 77-74 in the opening game of the 2023 regular season.
THE WARMUP
Score: AUM 77, SLU 74
Records: AUM 1-0 (0-0 GSC) | SLU 0-1 (0-0 SSC)
Series: AUM leads 2-1
Location: Saint Leo, Fla. | Marion Bowman Activities Center
Get Social: Twitter & Instagram - @AUMWarhawksMBB
HIGHLIGHTS
- The lead changed hands early as both teams tried to take control of the contest, and the score was knotted up 26-26 with 5:13 to go in the opening half.
- Six points from Robison and a Jalen Gaston three-pointer helped AUM use a 14-7 sprint to close the half and take a 40-33 lead into the locker room.
- The contest remained a two-possession game thanks to a pair of finishes from Robinson in the opening minutes of the second half.
- Down 58-52 with 10:03 to play, the Lions used a 9-2 spurt to steal a 61-60 lead with 7:21 left.
- A Malachi Rhodes jumper broke a 67-67 tie and gave AUM a lead it did not relinquish in the game's final five minutes.
- Leading by one point with less than a minute to go, Gaston beat the shot clock with a short jumper to push the lead to three, and Robinson added a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to help the Warhawks hold on to the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Robinson went a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line and the Warhawks went 21-for-26 (81 percent) as a team.
- Gaston (19 points) and Rhodes (10 points) also added double-digit efforts for AUM.
- Saint Leo committed 23 turnovers to 11 for the Warhawks, and AUM edged Saint Leo 27-12 in points off turnovers.
- AUM had just five assists in the game but totaled 13 steals, the most since a January 22, 2022 contest against Alabama Huntsville in which the Warhawks posted 17 steals.
FROM THE BENCH
- "It was a great total team effort from the Warhawks tonight," said head coach Michael Cheaney. "Saint Leo is a good team that is very well coached and has some great players. Our players fought and battled for 40 minutes. Go Warhawks!
UP NEXT
The Warhawks visit Florida Southern College at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 11 in Lakeland, Florida.
-#WeAreAUM-
For the latest on AUM Athletics, find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
