Ave Maria, FL – The Webber International Men's Basketball team came out swinging on Saturday night but could not withstand a second-half surge from unbeaten Ave Maria, falling 93–82 in Sun Conference action at the Tom Golisano Field House. The Warriors dropped to 2–4 overall and 0–1 in league play, while the Gyrenes improved to 7–0 and 1–0.
Webber opened on an 11–0 run behind early threes from Deon Brown and Nirobi Peeler Jr., plus a transition finish by Johnny Torrence Jr. The Warriors led by as many as 11 in the first half and knocked down six threes in the opening period, but Ave Maria steadily chipped away. The Gyrenes used second-chance points and free throws to flip the momentum, edging ahead 38–34 at the break despite Webber's 19–18 advantage on the glass.
The hosts seized control after halftime. Ave Maria's ball pressure forced turnovers that turned into easy baskets, and Marlon Bennett caught fire, pouring in 21 of his game-high 27 points after the break. The Gyrenes hit nine threes on the night and stretched the lead to as many as 21 midway through the second half. Webber continued to battle, attacking the paint and getting to the foul line to trim the deficit, but Ave Maria's timely shot-making and 27 points off 17 Warrior turnovers ultimately proved too much to overcome.
Brown led Webber with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, knocking down three triples. Torrence added 14 points and 3 rebounds, while Peeler stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Landon Tillman chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Thomas Morgan anchored the interior with 10 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. As a team, Webber shot 46.2 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three while scoring 38 points in the paint, but the Gyrenes' 20-for-27 performance at the free-throw line and +15 edge in points off turnovers made the difference in the conference opener.
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