AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team moved into a tie for second place in The Sun Conference on Saturday, thanks to a 91-90 victory over the College of Coastal Georgia. The Gyrenes have now won nine of their last ten games, and are 11-5 in Sun Conference play with one week to go. Ave Maria honored its seniors before the game, which came down to the wire at the Tom Golisano Field House.

The first half swung back and forth between the Gyrenes and the Mariners, with Ave leading by as many as seven and Coastal Georgia leading by five. A quick start helped Ave Maria take leads of 14-7 and 19-12 in the first five minutes of the contest, but Coastal Georgia was able to swing the momentum in the next ten minutes of play. By the end of the opening 20 minutes, Ave Maria held a 49-47 lead, with a pair of Leo Behrend free throws giving the Gyrenes the lead with one second left in the frame. 

Both teams shot the ball well from the perimeter in the first half, with the Gyrenes making nine three-pointers and the Mariners making six. Each team was led by a standout player in the opening 20 minutes, as Elijah Goodman made eight of his ten shots to rack up 23 points and nine rebounds. On the Ave Maria side, Behrend scored 16 points on just six shots to pace the Gyrenes. 

In the second half, the game remained tight throughout, with both teams getting opportunities to claim victory. Ave Maria led by as many as seven points in the final 20 minutes, leading 83-76 with 5:45 to play. The Mariners would rally to tie the game at 86 with under two minutes to play, but Ave would answer with back-to-back layups to take a 90-86 lead with 45 seconds left. Coastal Georgia put up two three-pointers in the final 12 seconds - one to tie the game and one to win it - but both could not find the mark, allowing AMU to escape with their eleventh home win of the year.

Behrend posted his sixth double-double of the season in the victory, scoring 21 points and pulling down ten rebounds. He was one of four Gyrenes to post a double figure scoring night, with Romello Bates and Greenan Sullivan both scoring 17 points and Caelen Watts adding 13. Coastal Georgia's Goodman had a career night with 33 points and 16 rebounds, and was one of four Mariners to score at least ten points. Leading scorer Jaylen Smallwood was held to 19 points on 19 shots, including a 2-for-9 performance from three-point range.

The Gyrenes remain firmly in the conversation for a first-round bye in the Sun Conference Tournament, as Ave Maria is tied with Southeastern with two games to play. A critical test faces the Gyrenes on Thursday, as Ave Maria travels across the state for a meeting with the St. Thomas University Bobcats. Tipoff in Miami Gardens is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.