AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team dropped a conference battle to Keiser University on Thursday night, falling 79-72 to the Seahawks at the Tom Golisano Field House. AMU was done in by giving up a 40-30 edge in rebounding, as well as a 36-26 deficit in points in the paint. 

A hot-shooting first half helped Ave Maria take a nine-point lead after the first 20 minutes of play. As a team, the Gyrenes shot 52 percent from the field and knocked down ten of their seventeen three-pointers. Gianpaolo Riccio led the effort in the first half, hitting seven three-pointers and scoring 22 points in the opening frame. In a span of nearly nine minutes, the Gyrenes went on a 23-6 run to turn a seven point deficit into a ten point lead, helping AMU claim a 40-31 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Gyrenes made just one of eleven three-pointers as Keiser rallied to take the lead. The Seahawks took their first lead of the half with 9:48 to play on a layup from CJ Fisher. In the final ten minutes, the lead switched hands multiple times, with AMU again building a five point lead with 5:54 to play. Keiser again rallied, taking the lead for good with 1:04 to play on a three-pointer from Marko Radulovic. The Gyrenes had two possessions with the Keiser lead within one possession, but were unable to close the gap in Keiser's first conference win of the season.

Behind his second consecutive eight three-pointer effort, Riccio led the Gyrenes with 29 points on 14 shots. Caelen Watts added eleven points, and was the only other Gyrene in double figures. Romello Bates dished out ten assists for Ave Maria, reaching double digits in assists for the second time this season. Five Seahawks were in double figures, led by 20 points each from Fisher and center Andrija Matic.

The Gyrenes return to action in North Miami on Saturday afternoon against Johnson and Wales University. Tipoff against the Wildcats is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., and is the nightcap of a men's and women's doubleheader.