AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's basketball team, currently the number one scoring offense in the nation, continued to light up the scoreboard in a 120-73 victory over Florida National University at the Tom Golisano Field House in Ave Maria. The game,the first athletic event for Ave Maria University in 2025, was moved to Ave Maria after the Conquistadors were unable to host. The Gyrenes knocked down 17 three-pointers, marking their fourth outing this season with 15 or more threes, and scored 120 points for the third time this year.
Ave Maria never trailed in the blowout victory over FNU, making their first shot of the game. AMU needed less than five minutes to build their lead to double digits, already leading by 12 points with 15:17 to play in the frame. The Gyrenes would proceed to score 70 points in the first half, making 29 of their 46 field goal attempts, as well as ten of 20 three-point attempts. The leader of the AMU onslaught, which saw Ave Maria up 70-31 at the break, was Miles Monchecourt, who scored 24 points in the first 20 minutes of action.
With a nearly 40 point lead in the second half, head coach Jamon Copeland was able to clear his bench in the second half, playing all 12 active Gyrenes. Ave Maria scored another 50 points in the second half, led by ten from Michael Klekas, and outscored the Conquistadors by a 50-42 margin to account for the 120-73 final.
The Gyrenes set a season-high in field goal attempts (90) and tied season-highs in assists (28) and steals (14). AMU's 90 field goal attempts were the second most in school history, and the most ever against an NAIA opponent, while the 28 assists rank fourth in school history. As a team, Ave Maria shot 55.6 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point territory. The Gyrenes also dominated the possession battle, taking 14 more shots than FNU thanks to 22 offensive rebounds and 24 forced turnovers.
Led by his 24 point first half, Monchecourt led the way with 30 points, making 13 total shots and four from long range. The senior was one of four Gyrnees in double figures, with Klekas (18), Jonathan Effertz (17) and Jack Watkins (10) also scoring at least ten points. Klekas came close to a double-double, adding a team-high nine rebounds to his 18 points. The Gyrenes assisted on 28 of their 50 made shots, with six assists from Jaylen White leading the way in the passing department.
Thursday's game was the last non-conference game of the season for the Gyrenes, who return to Sun Conference play with a 3-0 record in league play. The 2025 Sun Conference opener is a consequential one, with the Gyrenes battling an NAIA Tournament qualifier from last season in Florida Memorial. The Lions knocked off Ave Maria in the Sun Conference Tournament semifinals last season in the last meeting between the teams. The Saturday matchup is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. tipoff in Miami Gardens.
