AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team pulled away late on Sunday afternoon, and earned a 75-62 victory over the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University from Charlotte, North Carolina. The Gyrenes moved to 11-2 on the season with the win, which came against the current No. 1 team in the nation at the USCAA Division II level.

Johnson & Wales started quickly, taking a 13-8 lead just under six minutes into the contest. The Gyrenes were able to turn the tide in short order, and built their lead to ten points, 34-24, with 5:27 to play in the opening half. JWU closed the gap to two points late in the half, but a pair of free throws from Leo Behrend provided AMU with a 37-33 lead heading into halftime.

The visiting Wildcats outshot the Gyrenes in the first half, as JWU logged a 46.4 percent mark from the field, while Ave Maria made 14 of their 38 shots (36.8 percent). AMU did hold a major advantage on the offensive glass, rebounding 12 of their missed shots. Jeffrey Steel led all Gyrenes with ten points, while a balanced effort from Johnson and Wales saw seven Wildcats between two and seven points.

Ave Maria scored the first six points of the second half to build the lead up to ten, and never trailed in the final 20 minutes. JWU cut the Gyrene lead down to two on several occasions, but could never tie the game or take the lead. A 16-5 run over the final four minutes of the game helped the Gyrenes put the Wildcats away. The run included an 11-0 run that allowed AMU to extend a four-point lead to 15 with 27 seconds left, the biggest lead of the day for Ave.

Despite shooting a lower percentage from the field (38.5 percent to 38.1 percent) and from three-point territory (25.0 percent to 24.1 percent), the Gyrenes claimed the win due to a 20-7 advantage at the free-throw line, as well as 17 forced turnovers. AMU made 20 of their 23 free throw attempts, while the Wildcats connected on seven of their ten tries. Ave Maria also held a 46-36 edge in the rebounding battle.

Behrend led all scorers on the day with 19 points, and grabbed eleven rebounds to account for his fifth double-double of the season. Three other Gyrenes were in double figures - Lucas Uzdavinis (18), Jeffrey Steel (13), and Marcus Montalvo (10). Uzdavinis also logged his first double-double of the season with eleven rebounds of his own. Three Wildcats scored at least ten points, with Zyrion Wilkins' 16 points off the bench leading the way.

AMU's stretch of facing nationally ranked teams continues on Friday, when the No. 15 Spring Arbor University Cougars come to town for the final home game of 2019. Spring Arbor are the defending NAIA Division II national champions, and are coming to Ave Maria for the first time. Tipoff at the Tom Golisano Field House is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.