TAMPA, Fla. | The University of Alabama in Huntsville men's basketball team used a big second half to secure a season-opening victory over Saint Leo on Saturday in a contest hosted by Tampa. The Chargers start the season at 1-0, while the Lions begin at 0-1.
 
Turning Point
-With Saint Leo leading 41-35 just under two minutes into the second stanza, UAH would outscore the Lions by a 19-2 margin as six different Chargers scored over the next nine minutes to turn the six-point deficit into an 11-point advantage with just under nine minutes left in the game.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Sophomore Sam Orf had a big day for the Chargers, going 9-for-11 from the floor including a 4-for-5 showing from beyond the arc to score 22 points, and Orf also tied JJ Kaplan for the team lead in rebounding for the game as both grabbed seven boards.
-Joining Orf in double figures in scoring was Seth Swalve who scored 11 while also dishing out a team-best six assists.
-Both Orf and Swalve also picked up a pair of steals.
-For the game, the Chargers shot 53.1 percent from the floor including going 11-for-23 from 3-point land, while UAH's defensive effort limited Saint Leo to a shooting mark of just 38.9 percent.
-The Lions won the battle on the glass by a 34-27 margin.
-The Chargers protected the basketball, giving it away just six times in each half to total 12 turnovers.
 
Inside the Flow
-Saint Leo scored the game's first seven points, and the Lions would own the lead through much of the first half, enjoying the seven-point advantage on four different occasions in the period.
-With 1:49 left in the half and SLU holding a 35-29 edge, UAH would hold the opposition off the scoreboard the rest of the way, allowing back-to-back 3-pointers from Swalve and Tanner Finley – which came just prior to the expiration of the clock – to tie the game at 35-35 at the half.
-After the Lions scored the first six points of the second half, UAH would go on its aforementioned 19-2 run to take the lead, but a quick spurt for Saint Leo would narrow the margin to seven at 54-47 with 7:30 remaining.
-UAH would lead by seven again with 4:16 left in the game, but the Chargers closed the game out by outscoring the Lions 9-4 the rest of the way to seal the victory.
 
Noteworthy
-Orf records the best performance of his career, registering personal bests in points, field goals made, and 3-point field goals made while matching his career high in rebounds.
-The Chargers utilized 10 different players including Dalton Dodd and Max Shulman who made their collegiate debuts in which both scored three points while logging 16 and 12 minutes, respectively.
 
Next Time Out
-UAH will turn around to play host Tampa on Sunday. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. CST.