AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team finished the 2018 portion of their schedule on a dominant note, claiming a 101-65 victory over Sterling College at the Tom Golisano Field House on Wednesday afternoon. The Gyrenes knocked down 15 three-pointers in the victory, and shot 53.4 percent from the field. 

Ave Maria got off to a fast start on Wednesday, connecting on their first three shots of the day to race out to a 10-0 lead. Sterling hung around for the majority of the first half, trailing just 32-24 with 6:41 to play in the frame. From there, the Gyrenes went on a 21-5 run, and closed the opening 20 minutes with a 55-32 lead.

The Gyrenes' 23-point halftime lead was aided by an 8-for-15 performance from beyond the three-point arc. Jeffrey Steel hit all three of his long distance attempts, while Gianpaolo Riccio knocked down four of his six attempts. Defensively, AMU held Sterling to just 28.6 percent shooting from the field.

In the second half, the Gyrenes' lead never dipped below 20 points, with the lead growing as large as 38 points. Ave Maria also put together a big run in the final period, going on a 23-8 run to turn a 23-point lead into an edge of 38 points. Ave made seven more three-pointers in the final 20 minutes to account for their total of 15 for the game.

Five Gyrenes were in double figures, led by 28 points from Riccio. Steel, Greenan Sullivan, and Caelen Watts all scored 17 points, while Leo Behrend recorded a double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds. JaMiah Windom-Haynes was the leading scorer for Sterling, posting 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Gyrenes will return to action on January 3, in conference action against the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia. The Sun Conference tilt is part of a men's and women's doubleheader, with the men's game scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.