MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball used a second half surge to win its third straight game on Saturday evening, beating the Florida Memorial Lions 76-65 at the FMU Wellness Center in Miami Gardens. The Gyrenes have now defeated the Lions in each of the last eight meetings between the schools, a streak that dates back to the 2017-18 season. The win also kept the Gyrenes in possession of second place in The Sun Conference.

Florida Memorial led for much of the first half, leading by as much as seven points on three different occasions. After FMU claimed a 25-18 lead with 5:25 on the clock, the Gyrenes responded with seven unanswered points to even the score at 25. The teams would trade baskets, and a layup by Mubashar Ali with 58 seconds remaining in the half allowed the Lions to take a 29-27 lead into the break. 

The Lions held the lead at halftime despite a lower field goal (34.4) and three-point (16.7) percentage than the Gyrenes. FMU's advantage came in the paint, as the Lions scored 18 of their 29 points from inside the arc. Italo Ciccotti scored nine points in the first half to lead the way for the Lions, while Eric Klekas answered with nine points of his own for AMU. 

The second half was all Gyrenes, with Ave Maria outscoring Florida Memorial by a 49-36 margin. AMU's biggest run was a 9-2 stretch in the middle of the half that turned a two-point lead into a nine-point edge. Florida Memorial closed the AMU lead to one point with 4:03 on the clock, but the Gyrenes responded with three consecutive three-pointers - two from Klekas and one from Lucas Uzdavinis - to put the game away.

Ave Maria's biggest advantage in the victory was its three-point shooting, as the Gyrenes shot 50 percent from beyond the arc with 13 makes in 26 attempts. That mark included eight makes in 12 tries in the second half, which saw AMU shoot 63.3 percent from the field. 

Klekas was the high scorer for Ave Maria, putting in 21 points and adding six assists. Fernando Salsamendi made seven of his eleven shots, and added 17 points. Matt Gillis posted a double-double in the victory, pulling down eleven rebounds to go with 16 points. Vince Ventulan helped lead Ave Maria's offense off the bench, dishing out seven assists. Ciccotti was FMU's leading scorer with 15 points, while Ali had a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds. Sam Mack was also in double figures with ten.

A key conference game awaits the Gyrenes on Tuesday, as the Bobcats of St. Thomas University come to town. St. Thomas knocked off Ave Maria in Miami Gardens back on January 2, 71-65, dealing AMU one of their four conference losses to date. Tuesday's game is the second of three on the schedule between the Gyrenes and the Bobcats this season. Tipoff at the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy gymnasium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.