KINGSPORT, Tenn. — All good things must come to an end. That was the unfortunate lesson the Ave Maria Men's Basketball team learned Saturday as they fell to the Northwestern Red Raiders 105-77. The loss ends the longest winning streak in program history at 10 games.

The Gyrenes hung with the Red Raiders for the early stages of the game, but a 9-0 run for Northwestern put then ahead by three possessions and Ave Maria couldn't find their way back.

Northwestern led by as many as 15 points in the first half and beat Ave Maria from behind in the arc. In the opening 20 minutes, the Red Raiders knocked down eight three-pointers while the Gyrenes only hit three. Heading into halftime, Northwestern had a 50-37 lead.

The second half was more of the same as the Red Raiders outscored the Gyrenes 55-40. Ave Maria got better from downtown, hitting eight three-pointers in the second half, but the Red Raider still outdid them with nine trifectas of their own. Fifty-five points are the most points allowed in a half this season by the Gyrenes.

Individually, Marlon Bennett led the team in scoring with 21 points. Two other Gyrenes joined him in double figures with Jonathan Effertz scoring 15 and Mitchell Lee scoring 10. Those 10 points were the first points of the season for the senior and matches a career-high for him.

With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 10-1, ending the longest winning streak in program history. While they may not be in the undefeated club anymore, the Gyrenes are just one of three schools with 10 wins, the most in the NAIA.

After playing 10 of their first 11 games on the road, Ave Maria will be home for all four of their games in the month December. The homestand kicks off Wednesday, December 3, as the Gyrenes host the Florida National Conquistadors. This will be the only time Ave Maria plays FNU this season, breaking the trend of a home and home with the Conquistadors that they have done for the past three seasons.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.