AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team shot a blistering 59.1 percent from three-point distance, and pulled away for a 99-72 victory over the Johnson and Wales University Wildcats on Thursday night at the Tom Golisano Field House. Leo Behrend and Malik Hall combined to make all 12 of their three-point attempts, combining for 40 points on just 17 shots.
Behrend was the dominant force in the first half, hitting six straight three-pointers and scoring 18 points. The effort came in just nine minutes of action, as the Gyrenes built a 49-35 lead after the first 20 minutes. The major run of the first half saw the Gyrenes go on a 15-2 run to take a 12-point lead after trailing by one, 6-5. All 15 points in the run were supplied by Behrend, who hit five three-pointers in a span of just over three minutes.
Nemanja Brankov complimented Behrend's blazing hot shooting with a solid post presence. The sophomore made six of his seven shots in the first half, and accounted for 12 points and five rebounds. Johnson and Wales stayed reasonably close in the contest, shooting 43.3 percent from the field. The Wildcats were led by Michael Stuart, who scored eight points in the first 20 minutes.
After Behrend fouled out early in the second half, the Gyrenes turned to Malik Hall to pick up the slack offensively. The senior made five three-pointers in the final 20 minutes, scoring 17 points to keep the Wildcats at bay and eventually pull away. Caelen Watts added ten points in the second half, helping to key a 17-6 run that put Johnson and Wales away.
In total, five Gyrenes were in double figures, and two more added eight points to the total. Hall led all scorers with 22 points, giving him 50 over the past two games. Behrend followed with 18, and Brankov nearly posted a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. AMU's double figure scorers were rounded out by 14 points from Watts and ten points from Romello Bates. Six Johnson and Wales players were in double figures, led by 15 points from Sidney Alcena.
A critical conference game is on the schedule for Saturday, as the Gyrenes battle Keiser University at 4:00 p.m. Ave Maria currently sits third in The Sun Conference at 8-4, while the Seahawks are in fourth place at 7-5 coming off a victory against first place Southeastern on the road.
