LAKE WALES, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team snagged a much-needed win on Saturday afternoon, as the Gyrenes claimed a 63-54 triumph over the Royals of Warner University. With the win, AMU clinched their third consecutive winning season, and remained in sole possession of fifth place in The Sun Conference standings with two weeks left to play.

The first quarter saw the lead trade hands five times, as Ave Maria and Warner battled for early control. AMU's 15-13 lead at the end of the quarter was powered by the first four and last four points of the quarter. The Gyrenes did not let Warner score in the opening three minutes, and led 4-0 on two makes from Syanne Rowe. In the last 30 seconds of the frame, Sarah Miller hit a layup and two free throws to turn a 13-11 deficit into a 15-13 lead.

Despite an even 22-22 second quarter, the Gyrenes led for nearly the entire frame. AMU built a seven-point lead early in the quarter on the effort of the Allen twins - a three-pointer from Taylor and a jumper from Megan. The game was only tied for 13 seconds in the quarter, as a layup from Miller immediately broke a 25-25 tie. A layup just before the buzzer from D'Asia James cut into AMU's lead just before the half, giving Ave a 37-35 advantage to discuss during the break.

Ave Maria's defense went to work in the second half, as the Gyrenes held the Royals to 19 points in the final 20 minutes. This effort started in the third quarter, where Warner managed just eight points. In total, Warner shot just 23.1 percent from the field in the second half. Offensively, Ave went on an 8-0 run following a Warner three that gave the Royals the lead. The run put AMU back up by seven, and the Gyrenes took a 49-43 lead into the final quarter.

The Gyrenes scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, and did not look back en route to their eighth conference win of the season. Ave Maria's lead never dipped below six points in the final ten minutes, and any attempt at a Warner comeback was extinguished with 30 seconds left when Amanda Kasprzak knocked down AMU's seventh three-pointer of the afternoon.

Despite missing out on her 21st double-double of the season, Sarah Miller still led the way for the Gyrenes with 22 points and eight rebounds. Syanne Rowe nearly added a double-double with eleven points and eight rebounds, while Amanda Kasprzak, Danielle Domino, and Taylor Allen all scored six points. Warner's top scorer on the day was D'Asia James, who logged 15 points on nine shots. 

AMU will look to secure their place in The Sun Conference Tournament next week, as games against Johnson and Wales and Keiser await the Gyrenes. The test begins on Thursday night, when Ave Maria heads to North Miami for a meeting with the Wildcats. Tipoff at JWU is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.