LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team played with the No. 5 team in the nation for the final three quarters on Saturday afternoon, but could not dig themselves out of a 31-7 first quarter deficit in a 63-44 loss to the Southeastern Fire. Saturday marked the first time since January 2014 that AMU kept the final deficit against the powerhouse Fire under 20 points in a game played in Lakeland.

Southeastern built their lead in the first quarter, mostly thanks to their three-point shooting. The Fire knocked down seven three-pointers in the opening ten minutes, and attempted 14 of their 19 shots from beyond the three-point arc. Five different SEU players made at least one three-pointer, with Tahanee Bennell making all three of her attempts to built the Fire lead to 31-7 at the end of the first. 

Ave Maria outscored the Fire in two of the last three quarters, starting with a 13-11 margin in the second quarter. Casey Humphrey was the main source of Ave Maria's offense before the half, making a pair of three-pointers. AMU scored nine of their 13 points from long distance, as Nuria Castillo also knocked down a three. Despite Ave Maria's solid shooting, Southeastern still held a 42-20 lead at halftime. 

The Gyrenes played their best stretch of the basketball in the third quarter, outscoring the Fire 13-8. Ave Maria held the Fire to just three field goals, and forced Southeastern to miss ten of their eleven shots from inside the arc. Five different Gyrenes scored during the quarter, with Colleen Shanahan leading the way with four points and five rebounds. AMU got as close as 15 in the third, and trailed 50-33 entering the final frame. 

In the fourth quarter, the Gyrenes were able to get as close as 13, trailing 57-44 with 3:52 on the clock. However, only one field goal was made by either team in the final four minutes, with the Fire scoring the final six points to finish up their 63-44 win. 

Casey Humphrey and Lavariah Armstead were both in double figures for the Gyrenes, scoring ten points apiece. Gianna Santacroce led Ave Maria on the glass with 12 rebounds, while Colleen Shanahan added ten of her own. Santacroce and Shanahan led the Gyrenes to 30 offensive rebounds, the most in a single game for an Ave Maria team in almost ten years, when AMU had 33 offensive rebounds against Clearwater Christian on December 3, 2011.

AMU's Georgia swing is next on the schedule, which will see the Gyrenes first face the Night Hawks of Thomas University on Thursday. That game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in Thomasville. The roadtrip concludes Saturday afternoon, when the Gyrenes take on Coastal Georgia.