AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team earned a massive conference victory on the road on Thursday, holding off the Florida Memorial University Lions, 91-90, in Miami Gardens. The win was Ave Maria's 12th in a row against the Lions, a streak that encompasses more than five years. The victory also moved the Gyrenes even in the loss column with Warner and Southeastern at the top of The Sun Conference.
The Gyrenes were red hot from the start on Thursday night, shooting 61.5 percent from long range and 58.6 percent total to build a ten-point halftime lead. Ave Maria led by as many as 13 points in the opening 20 minutes, powered by 16 points from Eric Klekas, who knocked down four of his six three-point attempts. Despite scoring 40 points in the first half, Florida Memorial was cold from long distance, making just four of 19 attempts as the Gyrenes took a 50-40 lead into halftime.
Ave Maria never surrendered the lead in the second half, but had to hold off a late charge from the Lions down the stretch. AMU led by as many as 14 points in the second half, and following a layup from Chayse Culpepper with 5:05 left, the Gyrenes held a 83-74 lead with just five minutes to play. Ave Maria's next basket did not come for more than four minutes, as FMU scored seven unanswered points to cut the Gyrene lead to 83-81.
Daryl Lewis followed a Gyrene miss with a thunderous dunk to extend the lead to four, and Eric Klekas added a layup to make it 87-81 with 47 seconds left. After the teams traded turnovers, FMU's Eric Hester hit a three, and the Lions forced a turnover to give the home team a chance to tie with 22 seconds left. However, Lewis rebounded a missed three-pointer, and the Gyrenes withstood two three-pointers from FMU in the final six seconds to escape with a one-point win.
Eric Klekas and Daryl Lewis were the catalysts for Ave Maria's conference win, as the pair combined for 53 points - 27 for Lewis and 26 for Klekas. Lewis made nine of his eleven shots, and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Klekas led the team with four three-pointers, and dished out five assists to go with six rebounds. The only other Gyrene in double figures was Chayse Culpepper, who had 16 points and six rebounds.
AMU enters the final three games of The Sun Conference season firmly in the league title hunt. If the Gyrenes can win the final three games of the season, Ave Maria would earn at least a bye in the conference tournament, and would win the regular season title should Warner and Southeastern both lose at least once. The next test will be a tough one, as the Gyrenes host the red-hot St. Thomas University Bobcats, winners of four straight, at Donahue Gym on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
