WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University football concluded the 2019 season on Saturday evening, falling 34-10 to the Seahawks of Keiser University. Keiser clinched the outright Sun Division championship with the victory, which gave the second-year program an undefeated season.

After Keiser scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game, the Gyrenes responded with ten unanswered points to take a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter. Ave Maria got on the board in the final three minutes of the first quarter, as an 11-play, 73-yard drive that took over six and a half minutes concluded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Kristian Marks to Kevon O'Connor. Ave Maria then took the lead with 4:30 to play in the half, when another eleven play drive ended with a 33-yard field goal from Derek McCormick.

That would mark the final points of the season for the Gyrenes, as Keiser scored the final 28 points of the night. The Seahawks would take a 13-10 lead with 43 seconds left in the half on a touchdown pass from Eli Matthews to running back Asfunso Elam, capping off a long drive for the home team.

Keiser took full control of the game in the third quarter, as one big play put the game out of reach. A Gyrene field goal attempt was returned over 100 yards for a score by Sage Chen-Young, increasing the Seahawk lead to ten points. Two rushing touchdowns from Elam in the final 20 minutes of the night put the exclamation point on the night.

Kristian Marks completed eleven of his 21 passes for 108 yards, which included his touchdown strike to O'Connor. Quino Mauricette was AMU's leading rusher, logging 69 yards on 17 carries. Defensively, Stephen Killop led the way for the Gyrenes with five solo tackles and seven assists, which included an assisted tackle for loss. Kobi Bowers and Connor Jewel also had nine tackles each in the losing effort.

Ave Maria finishes the 2019 season at 5-5, which marks the first time in program history where back-to-back .500-or-better marks have been recorded. The Gyrenes also finished at .500 or better in Sun Division play for the second year in a row.