KINGSPORT, Tenn. — The Ave Maria men's basketball team traveled over 800 miles, their longest trip of the season, to participate in the ninth annual NAIA "The Show" Classic. The Gyrenes opened the Thanksgiving weekend tournament with an 85-68 win over the Pikeville Bears, who received votes in the first NAIA Top 25 poll of the season.
The Bears scored the first few baskets of the contest and led 7-6 three minutes into the game. However, that would be their last lead of the game as well. Noryen Lasley hit a three to put the Gyrenes up 9-7 and Ave Maria never looked back. That three was the beginning of a 15-4 run that put the AMU up by double digits on the Bears.
Towards the middle of the first half, Pikeville got within striking distance of the Gyrenes, closing the gap to four points. AMU regrouped and went on another big run, this time 14-4 to put the Gyrenes up 42-28 with under five minutes left in the opening period.
Ave Maria scored 10 more points in the final minutes and took a 52-40 lead into the break. It was the eighth half this season AMU scored more than 50 points. The Gyrenes hit nine three pointers in the opening 20 minutes with Jonathan Effertz leading the team with four. Effertz hit a three for Ave Maria's final points of the half to push them over the 50-point mark.
The second half was much more subdued for both teams, but the Gyrenes were always in control of the game. Although Ave Maria took 20 fewer shots than they did in the first half, they still had a similar shooting percentage as they did in the first.
Six minutes into the half, Jack Watkins put home a layup after a Nick Filchner steal to give the AMU their largest lead of the day, 63-45, capping an 11-5 run.
The Bears clawed back to within 10 points around the midway point of the half, but the Gyrenes kept their cool and held the UPike attacks at bay. Towards the end of the game, the Bears went cold from the field and Ave Maria cruised to an 85-68 victory.
Ave Maria only hit one three in the second half, but that was enough to give them 10 threes, a mark they have hit or passed now six times in their first seven games.
Michael Klekas led the team in scoring with 19 points, going 7-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Effertz, who led the team with his four threes, was one point off Klekas with 18. Filchner and Miles Monchecourt also hit double digits with 13 and 12 respectively.
With the win, the Gyrenes stay undefeated with a 7-0 record. The Gyrenes will play one more game in "The Show" Sunday, November 26, against the Indiana East Red Wolves out of the River States Conference. It is the second meeting all-time between the two teams with the first also being a part of "The Show" in 2021. The Gyrenes won that game 95-89. The link to the live stream provided by Milligan University, the host of the Classic, can be found on www.avemariagyrenes.com.
