LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team came up just short in Lakeland on Thursday night, falling 91-82 to the No. 11 Southeastern University Fire. The Gyrenes led by as many as seven in the second half, but could not put away the host Fire, who remained undefeated in Sun Conference play.

Southeastern jumped out to an early 10-4 in the opening two and a half minutes of the contest, but the Gyrenes rallied to take their first lead of the game, 24-22, with 10:44 to play in the opening frame. The lead changed hands several times in the final ten minutes of the first half, with the lead growing no larger than five points. Southeastern scored the final four points of the half to tie the game at 44 entering halftime.

The teams' stat lines in the first half were nearly identical, with both teams shooting 17-of-31 from the field, making four three-pointers, and six free throws. The Gyrenes held a 20-12 advantage on the glass, while Southeastern responded with eight forced turnovers. 

In the second half, the Gyrenes opened up a seven-point lead, 60-53, with 14:22 to play in the game. The Fire chipped back into the AMU lead, taking the lead back with just over ten minutes to play. The game remained close down the stretch, with the Gyrenes leading by one with 2:06 to play. However, the Fire proceeded to score the final ten points of the game on a jumper and eight free throws to keep their undefeated conference record intact. 

Leo Behrend posted a huge game for the Gyrenes, scoring 27 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, both game highs. Romello Bates was also near a double-double for AMU, scoring 19 points and dishing out eight assists. Southeastern was led by Jeremy Oppenheimer, who knocked down ten of his eleven free throws en route to a 24-point performance.

The Gyrenes return to action on Sunday, when Ave Maria travels for an exhibition game against Palm Beach Atlantic University. The next regular season contest is scheduled for Saturday, December 15, as the University of the Virgin Islands comes to the Tom Golisano Field House for the first game of a two-game series.