AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team bounced back in a big way on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 73-48 victory over the Thomas University Night Hawks at the Tom Golisano Field House. The victory snapped a two-game conference losing streak.
After falling in an early 6-2 hole, the Gyrenes responded with a 24-3 run spanning just over ten minutes to take full control of the game. Sarah Miller led the run with eight points on three layups and two free throws. During the run, Ave Maria did not allow a Thomas field goal for more than six minutes, a stretch where the Gyrene lead increased from five points (14-9) to 17 (28-11).
In the second quarter, the Gyrenes went on another run, this one an 11-4 stretch to close the quarter, which helped AMU take a 39-17 lead into the halftime break. Lauren Gillingham keyed this run with six points, including a three-pointer.
The Gyrenes did not let up in the second half, stretching the lead to as many as 28 points in the final 20 minutes. Ave Maria missed just seven shots in the second half, shooting 68.2 percent from the field. Conversely, the Gyrenes held Thomas to a 31.4 shooting percentage and allowed just one made three-pointer.
For the sixth time this season, Miller posted a double-double to lead the Gyrenes. The sophomore forward scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Gillingham put together an all-around effort, scoring 16 points with six rebounds and six assists. The senior also made three free throws to become Ave Maria's all-time leading free throw shooter.
The only Night Hawk in double figures was Arianna Anderson, who scored 18 points with seven rebounds. As a team, Thomas shot just 31 percent from the field, and missed ten of eleven three-point attempts.
Ave Maria is on the road twice in the coming week for two crucial Sun Conference matchups. The week begins Thursday, as the Gyrenes travel to Florida Memorial University. The game pits two teams who are currently 5-2 in TSC play. Tipoff at FMU is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
