LAKE WALES, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team came up one point short on Saturday evening, losing 74-73 to the Royals of Warner University at the Turner Athletic Center in Lake Wales. Warner shot 54.3 percent from the field in the second half to overcome an eight-point Gyrene lead, as the two teams split the season series for the second year in a row.

Ave Maria's defensive effort was the key in the first half, as the Gyrenes held Warner to just eight made field goals, all of which came from inside the three-point line. AMU steadily built their lead in the opening half, and held their biggest lead of the game (31-22) with 2:38 to play in the half. The Gyrenes would take a 33-25 lead into the halftime break, as two free throws just before the half from Jeffrey Steel pushed the Ave lead from six to eight points.

Neither team shot better than 40 percent in the first half, as Ave Maria posted a 35.7 percent mark to Warner's 33.3 percentage. Marcus Montalvo and Steel made Ave Maria's two three-pointers, while Warner missed all three of their attempts. Montalvo and Fernando Salsamendi led the Gyrenes with nine points each at the half, while eight points from Jaquez Dickerson paced the Royals.

The Gyrenes led for the first 12 minutes of the second half, and led by as many as seven points in the final ten minutes. Warner went on a 9-0 run in the middle portion of the half, turning a five-point deficit into a four-point lead. The lead bounced back and fourth between the teams, but the Royals were able to score on seven of their final nine possessions to claim the win over Ave Maria. 

Once again, Ave Maria lived up to their reputation as one of the nation's best teams against the three-pointer, as the Royals shot 18.2 percent (2-for-11) from long distance. The Gyrenes made eight three-pointers in the losing effort, but were done in by a 50-30 margin on shots inside the arc. Warner outscored the Gyrenes 36-12 in the paint, and both teams shot more than 25 free throws.

Leo Behrend eclipsed 20 points for the sixth consecutive game, which marks the longest streak of his Ave Maria career. Behrend led all scorers with 23 points, while Montalvo posted 21 points on just ten shots. Fernando Salsamendi was the third Gyrene in double figures with 13 points. Darryl Mercer, Jr. led Warner with 21 points, and Rod Boggan chipped in with 18.

The final two weeks of the season will be critical for the Gyrenes, who still remain in contention for The Sun Conference title. The race to the finish starts on Thursday night, when Ave Maria heads to North Miami for a meeting with the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University. AMU knocked off JWU, 67-48, at the Tom Golisano Field House on January 11. Tipoff at the Wildcat Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.