The Ave Maria University men's basketball team used a dominant first half to claim a 95-72 victory over the University of the Virgin Islands, on New Year's Eve, ending the 2016 calendar year with a win. AMU led by as much as 31 in the victory, which included a 26-point halftime lead. The triumph snapped a seven game losing streak for the Gyrenes, despite only one of those losses coming in Sun Conference play.
Ave Maria's first half surge came after an early drought, which saw Virgin Islands score the first eight points of the game within the opening two minutes. The Gyrenes were in control from that point forward, exploding for a 20-2 run over the next four minutes. After the run, Ave Maria's lead did not sink below seven points for the remainder of the contest. The lead was built in part due to efficient shooting from Ave Maria, who posted a 53.1% mark from the field in the opening twenty minutes. The same held on the other end of the floor, as the Virgin Islands shot just 26.2% despite pulling down 13 offensive rebounds.
The Buccaneers from the Virgin Islands outscored Ave Maria in the second half, 42-39. UVI also outshot the Gyrenes, 42.9% to 40.5%. AMU kept the Buccaneers at bay, hitting 14 total three-pointers to just four for the visitors. The Buccaneers' defeat was also exacerbated by
18 missed free throws on 34 attempts.
Five Gyrenes were in double figures, and all eight Gyrenes that saw the floor scored at least two points. Deonte Dixon was Ave Maria's leading scorer, racking up 27 points with six three-pointers. In just his third game of the season, Josh Flowers added 19 points off the bench. Exor Torres added 14 points, and Caelen Watts scored 13. Tejai Allen posted a double-double in the Gyrenes' fourth win of the season, pulling down 13 rebounds to go with his 13 points. Travis Scott also had 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass.
For the visiting UVI Buccaneers, John Nunnaly, Jr. scored 32 points on
32 shots, and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Paul Watson, who scored 13 points, was the only other Buccaneer in double figures.
The Gyrenes will face their final NCAA Division I opponent of the season on Monday evening, facing the Stetson Hatters in DeLand. It is the first game of a five-contest road trip for AMU, the final four of which will all come against Sun Conference competition.
