AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team opened Sun Conference play on Thursday night, taking on the Warriors of Webber International University. The Gyrenes pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, but could not string together another points in a 76-56 loss at Donahue Gym. Ave Maria outrebounded Webber in the conference opener, but were done in by a slow start and a cold shooting night.
Webber did much of their damage in the first quarter, opening up a 25-6 lead in the first ten minutes of the game. The Gyrenes held a 4-3 lead just over four minutes into the game, thanks to four early points from freshman Lavariah Armstead. Webber's Eletra Graham hit three-pointers on the Warriors' next two trips down the floor, and sparked a 22-2 run that ended the quarter, turning AMU's lead into a 19-point margin.
The Gyrenes stabilized in the second quarter, and began to flex their muscles on the glass. Ave Maria outscored the visiting Warriors 19-16 in the second quarter, and rebounded six of their 12 missed shots. Despite the improved performance, the Gyrenes were never able to cut the Warriors' lead below 15 points, and Webber took a 41-25 lead into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Webber continued to pull away, outscoring the Gyrenes by a 19-11 margin. Ave Maria made just three of their 16 field goal attempts after halftime, including six missed three-pointers. During the course of the third, the Warriors led by as many as 24 points, which included the 60-36 lead they ended the quarter with, thanks to four points in the final 30 seconds.
Ave Maria's best quarter was the fourth, which saw the Gyrenes outscore the Warriors 20-16. The Gyrenes were dominant on the offensive glass in the final frame, rebounding 12 of their 17 missed shots. Gianna Santacroce and Monica Behrend led the way in the rebounding category in the final frame, combining for seven offensive rebounds.
Lavariah Armstead was Ave Maria's leading scorer in the loss, putting up 13 points. Monica Behrend added eleven points off the bench, which included a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. On the glass, Colleen Shanahan was AMU's leader with 14 rebounds, while Gianna Santacroce had 12. In total, six Gyrenes had at least five rebounds against the Warriors.
Next on the schedule for the Gyrenes is perhaps their biggest challenge of the season. Ave Maria will head to The Furnace in Lakeland for a meeting with the defending Sun Conference champion Southeastern University Fire. Southeastern started the season as the No. 5 team in the nation, and has posted a 4-1 record to begin the campaign, all in non-conference games. Tipoff in Lakeland is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday.
