AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team went ice cold in the second half on Saturday evening, and saw a 13-point first half lead evaporate in a 95-84 defeat at the hands of the Warner University Royals. The Gyrenes started the game by making six of their first eight three-point attempts, but made just four of their last 28 to suffer their third Sun Conference loss of the season.
The game got off to a perfect start for the Gyrenes, who made six three-pointers in the first 7:08 of the contest, building leads of 27-14 and 29-16. After a dominant first eight minutes, Warner responded with a run of their own. The Royals scored the next 13 points, tying the score at 29 with 8:07 remaining. AMU went on one more run to retake the lead, turning a one-point deficit into a nine-point lead with a 13-3 run, and eventually took a 52-44 lead into halftime.
For more than eleven minutes in the second half, the Gyrenes maintained their lead, but were not able to pull away from the Royals. However, the final ten minutes saw Warner completely take control of the game. In those final ten minutes, the Royals outscored Ave Maria 30-15, and took the lead for good on a Logan West lay-up with 8:07 on the clock.
Warner shot 62.1 percent from the field in the second half, making 18 of 29 field goal attempts. This included five makes on ten three-point attempts. Conversely, Ave Maria couldn't buy a basket in the final 20 minutes, shooting 27.9 percent from the field and making just three of 20 three-point attempts, two of which came with the game already decided.
Ave Maria's 36 three-point attempts tied for ninth in single-game school history, and marked the fourth most in a conference game. The Gyrenes were able to grab 16 offensive rebounds, but could only convert those second chances in 14 points. Warner was also more efficient in transition, scoring 21 points on 13 AMU turnovers, compared to just eight points on 12 turnovers for the Gyrenes.
Lucas Uzdavinis led all scorers with 22 points, thanks to six three-pointers. The forward led four double figure scorers for AMU, which also included 17 points and eight rebounds from Daryl Lewis. Chayse Culpepper added 14 points and six assists, while Matt Gillis posted a double-double with eleven points and ten rebounds.
Saturday's game concluded Ave Maria's first trip through the Sun Conference, giving the Gyrenes a 5-3 record entering the second half of the conference slate. A major test awaits the Gyrenes next, as the Southeastern University Fire will make their lone trip of the season to Donahue Gym. The Fire are currently in first place in the conference with a 7-1 SUN record. Tipoff between AMU and SEU is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday night.
