MOBILE, Ala.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team ended their roadtrip with a defeat on Saturday afternoon, falling 66-46 to the Rams of the University of Mobile. The Gyrenes could not dig themselves out of an early hole against the Rams, and will return to Ave Maria with a 1-2 record entering the start of Sun Conference play next week.
The Gyrenes shot just 20 percent from the field in the first quarter, managing just six points. A pair of two-pointers from Cathreveny Cherestal and Danielle Domino, as well as two free throws from Megan Allen, accounted for AMU's scoring during the opening ten minutes. Ave Maria was able to hold the Rams to just 13 points in the same period, keeping the Gyrenes in the game with just a seven-point deficit.
Mobile's lead extended in the second quarter, as the Rams outscored the Gyrenes 19-14 to push their lead to 32-20. Ave Maria got as close as six points early in the second quarter, but watched as Mobile built the advantage to as many as 15 points.
A 10-0 run in the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter allowed the Rams to begin to pull away. Mobile's lead grew to as many as 24 points during the game's third frame, but a 7-1 run in the final 2:57 of the quarter trimmed Mobile's lead to 18 points. The Mobile lead would remain sizable for the entirety of the fourth quarter, as the Rams outscored the Gyrenes 16-14 in the final ten minutes of the game.
Ave Maria shot just over 30 percent from the field in the contest, and did not connect on any of their four three-point attempts. The Gyrenes' defensive efforts were solid, holding Mobile to under 40 percent both from the field (39.4 percent) and from beyond the three-point arc (33.3 percent). Mobile did use a major advantage in the rebounding category, holding a 43-29 edge over the visitors.
Syanne Rowe was the only Gyrene in double figures in the losing effort, scoring 12 points and logging a double-double with ten rebounds. Taylor Allen added nine points for the Gyrenes, while Monica Behrend chipped in with seven. Four Mobile players were in double figures on Saturday afternoon, led by a 20-point effort from Lauren Bodino.
The opening game of The Sun Conference season comes on Thursday evening for the Gyrenes, as AMU hosts the Warriors of Webber International University. Tipoff for the women's and men's doubleheader is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
