AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team had a second half for the ages on Saturday evening, using a 26-0 run to topple the Webber International University Warriors at the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy. The 73-53 victory, coupled with Keiser's victory over Warner in West Palm Beach, moved the Gyrenes into a tie for first place in The Sun Conference with two games to play. The win also avenged two of AMU's previous Sun Conference losses, as the Warriors had won both of the previous meetings this season.

Webber came out firing in the third matchup between the Warriors and the Gyrenes, building a 12-2 lead in the first four minutes of the contest. The next run belonged to the Gyrenes, who scored 12 unanswered points to take their first lead of the game, 14-12. The lead swung back and fourth seven times over the ensuing three minutes, leading to Webber's second surge. 

Trailing 23-22, the Warriors went on a 18-6 run, taking their biggest lead of the game at 40-29 with 41 seconds left in the half. Eric Klekas knocked down a three-pointer with 24 seconds left in the half, cutting the WIU lead to eight in what would prove to be a preview of the second half.

The first nine minutes of the second half could not have gone better for the Gyrenes. Ave Maria scored the first 23 points of the second half, turning the eight-point deficit into a 15-point lead. Including the three-pointer late in the first half, Ave Maria scored 26 unanswered points on the Warriors and did not allow Webber to make a field goal for more than eleven game minutes. 

After Webber cut the lead back to 12, the Gyrenes responded with another 15-0 run to put the game away. The two runs combined saw AMU outscore Webber 44-6 over a span of 16 minutes. 

In the second half, the Gyrenes shot 56.7 percent from the field, and knocked down six three-pointers. More impressive, perhaps, was the defensive performance. Webber was held to just four made field goals on 27 attempts, and just one make on 15 two-point tries. The AMU defense also turned Webber over nine times.

Four Gyrenes were in double figures, led by 18 points from reigning Sun Conference Player of the Week Eric Klekas. Fernando Salsamendi added 14 points on Senior Day, while Jose Sanchez added a double-double of 14 points and ten rebounds. The AMU quartet was rounded out by Chayse Culpepper, who had ten points.

Ave Maria is now in full control of their own destiny for the first Sun Conference regular season title in school history. The Gyrenes could clinch a share of the conference title, as well as the number one seed in the conference tournament, on Thursday. AMU heads to Lakeland for a meeting with Southeastern, and a win coupled with a loss by Warner against Thomas would give AMU a share of the conference championship. Tipoff at The Furnace in Lakeland is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.