TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. --- The Ave Maria men's basketball team fell, 55-51, on the road on Tuesday night at Florida College. The Blue and Green trailed 21-15 at the half and weren't able to complete the comeback as they drop to 5-2 on the season. AMU returns to the court on Sunday when they travel to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic University at 2 p.m.
 
Wendell Powell led the Gyrenes with 16 points. Jelani Bonner added 15 points while grabbing a team-high eight boards. Brandon Dead tallied nine points for the Blue and Green.
 
AMU shot 38 percent from the floor compared to 37 percent from Florida College. The Falcons held the edge from the behind the arc, making seven threes compared to three by the Gyrenes.
 
The Blue and Green got the scoring started, scoring on their opening possession of the game on a Bonner jumper. Florida College responded with back-to-back baskets, the second of which was a three, to take a 5-2 lead.
 
A few minutes later, AMU was leading 9-8 before the Falcons 10-0 run to take an 18-9 lead. Powell made a couple of free throws at the end of the half to make the score 21-10 in favor of Florida College at the break.
 
Dean hit a three to open the second half and cut the Florida College lead in half. Powell and Bonner followed that up with back-to-back layups to give the Gyrenes a 23-21 advantage.
 
The Blue and Green's lead increased to as many as seven when Ralph Erickson hit a three pointer to give AMU a 32-25 lead with 13:39 remaining.
 
Florida College began to chip away at the Gyrenes' lead before tying the game ta 37-37 with 8:32 remaining.  Down the stretch, FC's McMichael Jameson hit three shots from behind the arc, including one with 41 second remaining, to prevent the Gyrenes' from completing the comeback.
 
McMichael finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds for Florida College.