MIAMI, Fla. --- Annie Artise and Taylor Lindsey each tallied 22 points in the Ave Maria women's basketball teams 76-66 win at Johnson & Wales on Saturday afternoon. AMU improves to 9-11 overall and to 3-8 in conference play with the win.
 
Artise added seven rebounds to go with her 22 points while Lindsey tallied six assists and four boards in addition to her 22 points. Lauren Gillingham recorded eight points and eight assists. Erin Koehler had nine points and six rebounds for AMU.
 
Diamond Williams finished with a game-high 26 points for Johnson & Wales.
 
The Lady Gyrenes shot 47 percent for the game and were 10-of-23 from behind the arc. AMU made 12 of 13 from the free throw line. The AMU defense held JWU to 39 percent shooting and to 3-of-14 from three.
 
Johnson & Wales scored the games' first points but back-to-back threes by Artise and then a trey by Lindsey put AMU in front 9-2 early in the first half. In total, AMU made six threes in the opening 10 minutes and converted two old-fashioned three point plays to take a 26-14 lead after one. The Blue and Green kept their advantage in double-figures for most of the second quarter, extending it to as many as 15, 38-23, with 3:25 to play after a layup by Artise. AMU took a 38-27 lead heading into the break.
 
In the third quarter, Lindsey converted a layup, and-one and Artise knocked down a three to quickly add to AMU's lead, 44-27. Johnson & Wales was able to chip away at the AMU lead over the next 15 minutes, and cut it to single digits, 69-61, with 1:51 to play in the fourth. The Lady Gyrenes went 4-of-5 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to hold on to a 76-66 victory.
 
AMU returns to action next week with a pair of home conference games beginning with Southeastern on Wednesday night.