AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team dropped their second conference game of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 81-77 in overtime to the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University. The Gyrenes are now 6-2 in Sun Conference play heading into the final game of the first half of the league schedule.
AMU held an 18-15 lead following the first quarter, as both teams held leads during the opening ten minutes. The Gyrenes scored eight unanswered points early in the quarter to take an 8-2 lead, while Johnson and Wales responded with seven straight points to take an 11-10 edge. A three-pointer from Taylor Allen broke a tie in the final seconds of the quarter to give Ave a three point lead.
The second quarter saw both teams post their highest ten-minute totals of the game, with Johnson and Wales outscoring Ave Maria 24-20. AMU built a nine-point lead, 31-22, with 6:28 on the clock, a lead that proved to be the biggest for either team. A 17-4 run for Johnson and Wales followed, but a three-pointer at the buzzer from Macarena Corral cut the Wildcats' halftime lead to one, 39-38.
Johnson and Wales kept the lead from the end of the second quarter to the end of the third, although the lead changed hands four different times in the frame. The Wildcats took a 57-55 lead with 51 seconds left in the quarter on a layup from Chrystal Pressley, which provided JWU with a two-point edge entering the fourth quarter.
Ave Maria and Johnson and Wales traded the lead multiple times in the fourth quarter, with neither team able to gain a major advantage. Syanne Rowe hit a jumper with 31 seconds left to give the Gyrenes a 69-67 lead, but Johnson and Wales answered on a layup from Tianna Ayulo with 19 seconds left. AMU was unable to get a shot off to win, sending the contest to overtime.
In overtime, Johnson and Wales took the lead for good with 3:06 on the clock on a layup from Jordan McDuffie. The Gyrenes came within one possession on three different occasions, but could not fully close the gap as the Wildcats claimed the road victory.
Taylor Allen led the Gyrenes with 19 points, 15 of which came from beyond the three-point arc. Sarah Miller added a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Macarena Corral scored 13 and Syanne Rowe chipped in with 12. Tianna Ayulo led all scorers with 23 points, leading four Wildcats in double figures.
A major test awaits the Gyrenes next Saturday, as the No. 2 Southeastern University Fire come to the Tom Golisano Field House. Southeastern has won 62 consecutive Sun Conference games, and have not lost in conference play since February 2016. Tipoff at the Tom Golisano Field House is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
