AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Gyrenes tie the program record for points in a half and cruise to a 111-86 victory over the Webber Warriors. Ave Maria scored 65 points in the first half to race out to a 29-poit lead at the half.
In the first half, it felt like the Gyrenes could not miss, even if they wanted too. Ave Maria shot 65% from the field going 26-for-40. Twelve of those buckets were from behind the arc as the nation's best three-point shooting team put on a clinic in the opening 20 minutes.
The definite highlight of the half was Nick Filchner's 11-0 run in the middle of the frame. The junior transfer from Pennsylvania hit back-to-back threes, drained a fast break layup and finished off the run with another three for good measure, all while Webber went 0-for-2 from the field. Webber had been within two possessions of Ave Maria before the run but never recovered afterwards, always staying 15 or more points behind the Gyrenes.
In the final minutes of the half, Jaylen White nailed a three from the wing to put Ave Maria up 65-36 heading into the break. That set the record for points in a half this season, a year where the Gyrenes have passed or hit the 60-point mark now six times, and also tied a program high for points in a frame. The only other time the Gyrenes scored 65 points in 20 minutes was when they did so in the second half against the Sterling Warriors from Kansas on December 17, 2016.
The Gyrenes were on cruise control in the second half, always leading by 25 or more points. Ave Maria hit six more threes to bring their game total to 18, which is tied for fifth most in program history. It is tied with the same 2016 game against Sterling and a 2019 contest against the Toccoa Falls Eagles from Georgia.
With a little over eight minutes left to go in the game, Filchner hit his fifth three of the night to put the Gyrenes exactly at 100 points. It is the ninth game this season the Gyrenes have hit the century mark, and the 33rd overall in school history. A whooping 27% of triple digit games in Ave Maria basketball history have happened this season.
The final bucket for the Gyrenes was a three from Sean Gough, seeing his first minutes in conference play towards the end of the game.
When the final buzzer sounded, AMU walked off the court with a 111-86 victory. 111 points in the third-most points scored this season and the sixth-most points scored in program history.
"It was a great night for us, and I am just really proud of our guys," said head coach Jamon Copeland following the win. "A lot of times, since we shoot it so well, that's kind of our crutch as well. I thought tonight we did a great job fighting for the circle…and if we don't have it on the rim, that's where our fan outs are coming. And obviously, we shot the heck out of it."
The most impressive aspect of the win for the Gyrenes was how much it was a team effort. Despite scoring over 100 points, no one player scored more than 20. That being said, six Gyrenes hit double figures with Filchner leading the bunch at 19, Jack Watkins, Michael Klekas and Jonathan Effertz all tied at 16, Jaylen White at 15 and Jai White at 11.
"This group is special and what makes them so special…is their unselfishness," remarked Copeland. "And that's hard. You know, in athletics, everyone likes the accolades, in basketball, scoring is a lot of fun. And they are willing to give up good for great and that is what makes this group so special and so fun to coach."
With the win, Ave Maria improves 16-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play. They stay atop the Sun Conference, one game ahead of the Florida Memorial Lions.
Ave Maria stays home for their next game as they play host to the Coastal Georgia Mariners Saturday, January 27, with tip-off set for 4 p.m. That is the final game of the Gyrenes' first pass through the Sun Conference and will mark the halfway point in league play. The game will be broadcast on the Sun Digital Network.
