AVE MARIA, FLA (FEBRUARY 18, 2026) - The St. Thomas University Bobcats fell on the road Saturday night, dropping an 89-68 decision to the Ave Maria University Gyrenes in Ave Maria, Florida.

St. Thomas (68) battled early and even grabbed its largest lead of the night at four points with 16:10 remaining in the first half, but Ave Maria's efficiency on the offensive end proved too much to overcome. The Gyrenes shot 47.9 percent from the field and outscored the Bobcats 48-30 in the paint while building a lead that stretched to as many as 26 points late in the second half.

Noah Tovar led the Bobcats with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including three three-pointers, and added a game-high 12 rebounds for a double-double. Kaleb Myers provided a strong inside presence with 16 points and 10 rebounds, giving St. Thomas a second double-double on the night.

Joshua Thrower added 11 points off the bench, converting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, while Esteban Lluberes chipped in eight points with two made three-pointers.

The Bobcats shot 39 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from beyond the arc (7-of-27). After a slow first half in which they shot just 32.3 percent, St. Thomas improved to 46.4 percent in the second half but could not cut significantly into the deficit. The Bobcats also struggled at the free-throw line, finishing 15-of-25 (60 percent).

Ave Maria was paced by Jack Watkins, who scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Jonathan Effertz added 18 points, and Marlon Bennett came off the bench to contribute 15 points. The Gyrenes also held a 19-12 edge in second-chance points and received 26 points from their bench unit.

St. Thomas finished with 39 rebounds and 13 turnovers, while Ave Maria committed just five turnovers and converted them into 12 points.

The Bobcats will look to regroup in their final regular season game as they head to Sarasota to take on New College. 

Tip off is set for 4PM on Saturday, February 21.