BOCA RATON, Fla. - Behind a dominant offensive performance and timely execution on both ends of the floor, the Lynn University men's basketball team earned a 97-85 Sunshine State Conference victory over Saint Leo on Wednesday night at the de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center.
 
Max Polk powered the Fighting Knights with a season-best scoring effort while Lynn showcased depth, rebounding strength, and transition efficiency to maintain control throughout the second half. With the win, the Blue and White improved to 12-9 overall and 7-7 in SSC play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Saint Leo won the opening tip, but Lynn struck first as Polk scored inside to give the Fighting Knights an early 2-0 lead
- Polk followed with another paint finish and free throws as Lynn opened on a 6-0 run, forcing early Lion turnovers
- A fast-break layup from Braydon Iuli and a second-chance tip-in from Matthew Puodziukaitis pushed Lynn ahead 10-0 midway through the half
- Saint Leo answered with interior scoring and second-chance baskets to trim the margin to two
- Polk restored momentum with a flashy layup and later a thundering dunk by Justin Bubak kept Lynn in front
- After defensive stops sparked transition chances, Polk buried a three to extend the Fighting Knight lead
- Lynn capitalized on a Lions turnover as Polk drilled another triple, making it a nine-point cushion
- Polk continued his hot shooting night with his third three of the half, stretching the lead to double digits, 27-16
- Saint Leo responded from deep to stay within striking distance, but Iuli attacked the rim to stabilize Lynn's advantage
- The Lions rallied behind perimeter shooting to pull within one possession late in the half
- The Blue and White countered with a transition finish from Sveinn Birgisson to halt the run, 34-29
- A big time triple from Antoine Jacks sparked a late Lynn push as the Blue and White led by six with 2:30 left in the half
- Polk connected on his fourth three of the frame from the corner to put Lynn up by nine before Austin Vick rattled home a layup to restore the Fighting Knights' double-digit lead, 44-33
- John Roland cleaned up an offensive board for a late bucket to send Lynn into halftime ahead 46-38
- Saint Leo opened the half with a paint finish, but Lynn answered immediately with Roland's second-chance dunk, keeping the Fighting Knights in front
- Polk buried his fifth three to steady Lynn's lead, but the Lions pushed the pace in transition to keep it within two possessions
- Lynn leaned on execution in the half-court as Iuli hit a turnaround jumper to extend the margin before the under-16 media timeout, 53-44
- Out of the break, Lynn created separation with transition offense, highlighted by Puodziukaitis' alley-oop dunk on the break
- Saint Leo caught fire from three to cut into the lead, but Lynn responded with Roland's second-chance tip-in and a timely Polk three off a turnover, pushing the score to 67-54
- The Lions made another push with second-chance triples and transition baskets to close the gap to 75-67
- Lynn answered on cue: Puodziukaitis finished at the rim, Iuli converted in the paint, and Polk scored on the break, helping the Fighting Knights regain breathing room
- Polk calmly converted two free throws, extending the cushion to 12 as the Fighting Knights began to control the tempo
- Saint Leo scored in transition, but Antoine Jacks answered with a clutch three-pointer, restoring a 13-point advantage
- Roland again secured an offensive board, leading to Jacks converting a pair at the line to push Lynn ahead by 13
- Lynn forced difficult perimeter looks down the stretch, securing rebounds and protecting possession to close out the win, 97-85
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Polk led all scorers with 33 points, shooting 11-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-10 from deep
- Polk's 33 points mark a season-high for a Fighting Knight this season while his 6 made threes rank as one of the best shooting nights for the SSC in 2026 (tied for third most points in an SSC contest in 2025-26)
- The Blue and White guard currently ranks fifth in scoring for the conference at 18.0 PPG and 252 total points
- Jacks added 17 points, going 9-for-11 at the free-throw line with five assists
- Roland recorded another double-double with 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, including key second-chance buckets
- Roland continues to be a standout for the Fighting Knights, recording his eighth double-double for the Blue and White this season
- Iuli posted 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals
- Puodziukaitis scored 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting, adding five rebounds
- Lynn shot a blistering 59.3% from the field for the fourth best percentage in the SSC this season, including 61.5% in the second half
- Five Fighting Knights finished in double-digit scoring including Polk, Iuli, Jacks, Puodziukaitis and Roland
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn returns home to host Barry on Saturday, Feb. 7th for some afternoon SSC action set for 4:00 pm.