AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team put up a stiff challenge to the number one team in the nation on Saturday afternoon, but eventually fell to the Southeastern University Fire, 70-54, at the Tom Golisano Field House. The 16-point margin of victory was the smallest in any of Southeastern's nine conference games, and was the closest game between the two teams since the 2015-16 season.
Ave Maria led at the end of the first quarter, as the Gyrenes racked up 20 points on the top-ranked Fire. AMU led by as many as six points in the opening frame, including a 20-14 lead with 38 seconds left in the frame. The Fire scored the final four points of the quarter to cut the Gyrene lead to two points at the end of the first ten minutes.
Southeastern had their best stretch of the game in the second quarter, outscoring Ave Maria 20-7. Thanks to the run, which included a 8-0 stretch in the first six minutes of the quarter, allowed the Fire to take a 38-27 lead into the halftime break. The Gyrenes were held to two field goals in the quarter by Southeastern's stifling defense, as a layup from Sarah Miller and a three-pointer from Taylor Allen supplied five of the seven points.
The Fire extended their lead in the third quarter, as the Fire led by as many as 19 points following a 6-0 run in the first three minutes of the frame. Ave Maria would get as close as 12 points with 52 seconds left in the quarter, but were immediately met by a 4-0 Southeastern surge that gave the Fire a 57-41 lead at the end of the third.
Both teams logged 13 points in the fourth quarter, with the Southeastern lead oscillating between 13 and 19 points. The Fire never led the Gyrenes by 20 points, despite Southeastern winning each of their first eight conference games this season by at least 37 points. With the exception of the second quarter, the Gyrenes stayed within three points of the Fire, who won their 63rd consecutive conference game.
Taylor Allen knocked down five three-pointers for the Gyrenes, accounting for 15 of her team-high 17 points. Sarah Miller added yet another double-double with 13 points and ten rebounds, while Amanda Kasprzak came off the bench with 12 points. Southeastern was led by M'caela Sellers, who connected on ten of her eleven shots to lead all scorers with 22 points.
AMU enters the second half of the conference schedule 6-3 in league play, which is good for fourth in The Sun Conference. The Gyrenes will have the opportunity to, at worst, move into a tie for third on Thursday, when the Mariners of Coastal Georgia come to the Tom Golisano Field House. Coastal Georgia topped the Gyrenes in Brunswick, 68-54, back on November 23. Tipoff in Ave Maria is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. as the opener of a men's and women's doubleheader.
