BABSON PARK, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team came up just short on Thursday night, falling 76-73 to the Warriors of Webber International University. Ave Maria held a 15-point first half lead, but went cold down the stretch as the hosts rallied for the conference win. Webber's three-point win marks the fourth time in the last five meetings between the Gyrenes and Warriors that have been decided by three points or less.
Much of the first half belonged to Ave Maria, as the Gyrenes built a 15-point lead in the first 14 minutes. A three-pointer from Joseph Hahnenberg gave AMU a 31-16 lead with 6:45 remaining in the half, and the lead would remain at least nine points for the remainder of the half. Ave Maria never trailed in the first half, and led for all but 3:07. At halftime, the Gyrenes held a lead of 39-28.
Hahnenberg was the leading scorer for the Gyrenes in the opening 20 minutes, scoring ten points on 3-for-4 shooting. His efforts helped the Gyrenes shoot 59.3 percent from the field, as well as 50 percent from beyond the three-point arc. AMU also played well defensively, holding the Warriors to a 37.9 percent mark from the field and a 22.2 percent mark from three-point territory.
In the second half, Webber slowly chipped their way back into the game, finally tying the game at 68 with 3:14 on the clock. After two free throws from Lucas Uzdavinis swung the lead back to AMU, the Warriors then scored the next five points on three free throws and a Kris Goettert layup that gave WIU the lead for good. During the final two minutes, AMU missed of their final five shots, including a three-pointer just before the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime.
Webber's comeback was aided by a 73.7 percent shooting percentage in the second half, as the Warriors made 14 of their 19 field goal attempts. The Warriors were also able to get to the free throw line, making 17 of 21 free throw tries. For the game, the Gyrenes outshot the Warriors from both the field and three-point territory, but were outscored 21-9 from the free throw line.
Fernando Salsamendi posted a double-double in the losing effort, putting up 23 points and 12 rebounds. Eric Klekas made seven of his ten shots en route to 17 points, while Hahnenberg's first half efforts left him with 12. Webber's leader was Jaylon Myles, who scored 22 points, while Rasheem Etienne added 19, including eleven from the foul line.
Despite the loss, the Gyrenes will have an opportunity to regain first place in The Sun Conference on Saturday. Ave Maria is currently a half game behind Warner in the standings, and the Royals will be the Gyrenes' opponent on Saturday afternoon. In the series between Warner and Ave Maria, the home team has won six consecutive games. Tipoff at the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy gymnasium is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the league.
