AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team put together one of the biggest comebacks in school history on Thursday night, erasing a 24-point deficit in an 89-87 victory over the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University. The Gyrenes trailed 37-13 less than 12 minutes into the game, but came all the way back to pick up their ninth conference win of the season.
The first quarter could not have gone worse for Ave Maria, who found themselves in a 19-point hole after ten minutes. The Wildcats were dominant for much of the first period, going on a 21-4 run to extend a four point lead (9-5) to 21 points (30-9). JoNae Gonzales-Smith led the JWU onslaught, scoring 17 points in the opening ten minutes. As a team, the Wildcats shot 57.9 percent from the field, and led 30-11 entering the second quarter.
After JWU stretched the lead to 24 points in the first two minutes, Ave Maria began to inch their way back into the game. In the second quarter, that effort was led by sophomore guard Taylor Allen. Allen knocked down a trio of three-pointers and scored eleven points in the second to pull AMU within 13 points, 49-36, at halftime. JWU's duo of Gonzales-Smith and Tianna Ayulo combined for 32 points at halftime, while Allen's eleven points paced the Gyrenes.
Ave Maria continued to chip into the Johnson and Wales lead in the third quarter, as the Gyrenes closed the gap to five points. The Wildcats led by as many as 17 points in the frame, but a 17-5 run helped AMU come within five points. Ave Maria outscored the Wildcats 28-20 in the third quarter, led by eight points from Katie Houbolt and six more from Allen. Ayulo provided much of the offense for the Wildcats, scoring eleven points.
The comeback was completed in the fourth quarter, as Ave Maria tacked on 25 points to steal the victory. Despite trailing by nine with eight minutes to play in the game, the Gyrenes finally climbed all the way back to tie the game on a Sarah Miller layup with just over two minutes to play. The teams traded points on two Ayulo free throws and a Syanne Rowe jumper, keeping the game tied with under a minute to play. With 20 seconds left, Danielle Weinmann stole an inbounds pass and laid it in, giving AMU the lead for good. AMU and JWU traded a free throw each to insure a two-point win for Ave Maria.
Offensive balance was critical for the Gyrenes in the comeback, as five Gyrenes were in double figures. The effort was led by 21 points from Allen, followed by a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds from Miller. Weinmann added 17 points, including the game-winner, while Houbolt chipped in 14 and Rowe posted 12. Ayulo and Gonzales-Smith provided 61 of Johnson and Wales' 87 points, scoring 31 and 30, respectively.
AMU goes on the road on Saturday for a conference tilt with Keiser University. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
