TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. - The Ave Maria University women's basketball team battled to a road victory on Thursday evening, holding off the host Florida College Falcons, 73-65, at the Conn Gymnasium in Temple Terrace. Ave Maria's seniors powered the team's fourth victory of the season, with the four seniors in the lineup combining for 54 of the team's 73 points. The victory marked AMU's tenth straight win over the Falcons, a streak that dates back to the 2013-2014 season.
In a game with ten ties and 12 lead changes, the tone was set early. Neither team led by more than three points in the first quarter, with the Falcons holding a 15-13 lead at the end of the opening frame. Florida College held three different three-point leads in the first, but the Gyrenes were able to quickly respond on each occasion, keeping the Falcons from putting together any substantial runs.
The Gyrenes controlled much of the second quarter, outscoring the Falcons 13-6 in the first 5:30 of the frame to build the game's first five-point lead, 26-21. That stretch included a brief 5-0 run, thanks to a three-pointer from Monica Behrend and a layup from Taylor Allen. Florida College would battle back to outscore AMU 13-8 in the final 4:30, sending the game to halftime tied at 34.
In the third quarter, the score was tied five times in the first five minutes, with the score even at 36, 38, 40, 42, and 44. Ave Maria senior Taylor Allen then scored six points of an 8-2 AMU run, allowing the Gyrenes to take their biggest lead of the game at six. Ave Maria would lead for the remainder of the quarter, and held a 55-51 lead heading into the final ten minutes of action.
Florida College started the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to retake the lead with 8:26 remaining. After a Bailee Taft three-pointer again tied the game at 59 with 6:15 on the clock, the Gyrenes scored six unanswered points to take the lead for good. Florida College would come as close as two points, 65-63, with 2:34 left, but layups from Rowe and Allen pushed the lead back to six, essentially sealing the win for the visitors.
Taylor Allen had a career game on Thursday night, scoring a career-best 27 points on 12-for-16 shooting. Her 27-point effort is the most for a non-post player at AMU since Lauren Gillingham scored 27 points on December 28, 2016. Syanne Rowe also had a monster game, making eight of nine field goal attempts en route to 19 points, a career-high for the senior. Bailee Taft and Kinlee Varnell combined for 42 points to lead the Falcons.
Ave Maria now breaks for the Christmas holiday, and will have 13 days between Thursday's tilt and their next contest. The return to play will come at home on December 30, when the Keiser University Seahawks come to town. That game, which is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff, will mark the final event for the University in 2020.
