KINGSPORT, Tenn.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team led by as many as 13 points on Saturday, but could not hold on for the upset against the Marian University Knights in the first game of "The Show" in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Gyrenes led 44-31 with under 14 minutes to play, but Marian rallied with a major run in the final five minutes to emerge with the victory.
The Gyrenes completely locked down the Knights defensively in the first half, holding the sixth-ranked team in the nation to just 16 points in the opening 20 minutes. Ave Maria forced misses on 24 of Marian's first 28 shots, and opened up a 27-16 lead at the end of the opening frame. Marian missed all 15 of their three-point attempts in the first half, while two Jonathan Effertz three-pointers and one from Michael Klekas helped AMU open up an eleven-point lead.
Saturday's second half saw both offenses come to life, with 93 total points scored, compared to just 43 in the opening 20 minutes. Marian battled back to tie the game on several occasions, but the Gyrenes did not surrender the lead until the 3:43 mark of the game. The crucial run of the game came in the final five minutes, after a Branden Pannell three-pointer gave AMU a 57-51 lead. Marian went on a 19-4 run over the last five minutes, turning Ave Maria's six-point lead into a nine-point edge for the Knights.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well Saturday afternoon, with both teams posting shooting percentages under 40 percent - 36.5 percent for Ave Maria and 30.9 percent for Marian. The Gyrenes did have some success from long distance, making ten of 26 attempts for a 38.5 percent mark. Where Marian had their most success was at the free throw line. The Knights outscored the Gyrenes 31-18 from the charity stripe, connecting on 31 of 39 free throw attempts.
Matt Gillis did everything he could to spur the Gyrenes to an upset, scoring 24 points and posting a double-double with eleven rebounds. Jonathan Effertz added 16 points, all but one of which came from long distance thanks to five made three-pointers. The only other Gyrene in double figures was Michael Klekas, who made the most of his 19 minutes on the floor, scoring 12 points and pulling down five rebounds.
Ave Maria concludes their stay in Tennessee on Sunday, when the Gyrenes play their second game in "The Show." AMU's opponent in the final game is West Virginia Tech, who were receiving votes in the first edition of the NAIA Coaches' Poll. Tipoff from Kingsport is scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
