LAKE WALES, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team picked a great time to play their best game of the season, leading from the opening tip in an 84-64 victory over the Southeastern University Fire in the semifinals of the 2022 Sun Conference Tournament. The win over the No. 19 team in the nation sent the Gyrenes to their second conference title game in the past four seasons, where Ave Maria will face fifth-seeded Florida Memorial.
Coming in as the underdog following two decisive regular season losses to the Fire, the Gyrenes stormed out of the gate. Three-pointers from Lucas Uzdavinis and Matt Gillis, as well as layups from Daryl Lewis and Chayse Culpepper, put Ave Maria up 10-0 just over three minutes into the game. Southeastern missed their first seven shots, but were able to pull back within four, 16-12, with 11:14 to play in the half.
From there, the Gyrenes went on another major run. Over the next four minutes, the Gyrenes scored 13 unanswered points, led by five from Lewis, to open up a 29-12 lead. Although Southeastern was able to creep back within eight, Ave Maria would maintain control for the remainder of the first half, taking a 36-23 lead into the halftime break.
With a championship opportunity in their sights, the Gyrenes rolled in the second half, never letting the Fire get any closer than seven points. AMU shot 54.8 percent (17 of 31) from the field, and made 60 percent (9 of 15) of their three-point tries. Southeastern pounded the Gyrenes down low, making 18 of 27 two-pointers, but missed on all but one of their 13 three-point tries.
The run that sealed Ave Maria's win came in the final eight minutes of the contest. Leading 60-51, the Gyrenes made four consecutive three-pointers, including two by Eric Klekas and one each by Gillis and Culpepper. That essentially put the game away, extending Ave Maria's lead to 21 points with just 5:47 on the clock. The lead for AMU never got below 16 points from that point on.
All six of the Gyrenes to play more than 20 minutes scored at least eight points, with a trio leading the way with 17 points apiece. Lewis just missed out on a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Klekas' 17 points came with a team-high seven assists. Chayse Culpepper also added six assists with his 17 points. Jose Sanchez added 12 points on just seven shots, and Matt Gillis led the bench effort with 13 points in a reserve role.
Ave Maria's final challenge in The Sun Conference Tournament will come from the fifth-seeded Lions of Florida Memorial University, who upset the top-seeded Warner University Royals in the nightcap Friday. The Gyrenes defeated the Lions in both games during the regular season, but the two games were decided by a total of five points. Tipoff of the 2022 conference championship game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at the Turner Athletic Center on the Warner University campus in Lake Wales.
