AVE MARIA, Fla.—A balanced scoring effort with five players in double-figures helped Southeastern pick up its second road win of the year with a 91-87 victory over Ave Maria.
A 15-point second half lead was taken all the way down to two with six seconds left on a three-pointer by the Gyrenes, but
Jalen McCallum was able to make a pair of free throws at the other end of the count to secure the win.
McCallum scored 11 of his 19 points in the first half, helping the Fire build a 10-point lead (40-30) after 20 minutes of play.
Both teams hit their stride in the second half, with Ave Maria hitting over 60% from the field. A steal by
CJ Reese and a layup by
Jeremy Oppenheimer gave the Fire a 52-37 lead with 16:57 to play. Oppenheimer also had 19 points.
Reese was the steady presence with 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 36 minutes of play. The junior was also 9-of-10 at the free throw line.
The win brings the Fire within a game of the top six in the conference standings. Southeastern will host first-place Florida Memorial on Thursday.
