BOSTON, Mass. --- The Ave Maria Lady Gyrene basketball team shot nearly 51 percent from the field en route to a 12 points win over Mount Saint Mary's on Saturday night. AMU won each of the first three quarters before holding off a late rally by the Knights.
 
The Lady Gyrenes improved to 5-0 with the win and look to make it six straight to open the season on Sunday against Emerson College. The game will tip at 11 a.m.
 
Katie Houbolt led the Blue and Green with 16 points and nine rebounds. She played all 40 minutes for Ave Maria and was 4-of-7 from three. Jasmine Bateman (15), Lauren Gillingham (13), and Mallory Burton (12) also finished in double-figures for the Lady Gyrenes.
 
As a team, the Lady Gyrenes had 10 steals and forced Mount Saint Mary's into 17 turnovers. AMU held a 26-12 advantage in points off turnovers including a 14-0 mark in the first quarter.
 
Houbolt got the Lady Gyrenes started making her first two shots to put AMU in front 5-0. AMU never looked back and never trailed in the game.
 
After a Sarah Miller layup, Houbolt added another three to make it 10-0 Ave Maria. After the Knights cut into the AMU lead, back-to-back threes by Bateman and Houbolt extended the Lady Gyrene advantage to 12, 24-12 after a quarter of play.
 
The Blue and Green maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second quarter and led by as many as 18 in the quarter, 40-22, after a Bateman jumper with 3:47 to play.
 
In the third quarter, AMU held the Knights to 13 points and to 6-of-18 shooting. Late in the quarter, baskets by Emily Acosta and Amanda Kasprzak helped Ave Maria to their largest lead of the game, 19 points.
 
Despite struggling from the floor in the fourth quarter, AMU was able to maintain a their double-digit advantage and hold off a late rally by the Knights.