AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team got back in the win column on Saturday afternoon, thanks to a 62-56 home victory over the Warner University Royals at Donahue Gym. The win put AMU back at .500 in Sun Conference play at 3-3, and vaulted the Gyrenes into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings. It also marked AMU's ninth consecutive victory over the Royals.
Neither team was able to gain a foothold in the first half, as the margin was above three points for just 26 seconds, when Warner held an early 7-2 lead. AMU responded with the next five points to tie the game at seven, and it would remain a one possession game for the final seven minutes of the opening frame. Tied at 14, Warmer's Audre'anna Judie converted on an and-one to give Warner a 17-14 at the end of the first.
Ave Maria's best quarter was the second, which saw the Gyrenes outscore Warner 22-13 to take a 36-30 lead into the halftime break. The key run in the second came in the closing moments of the half. Down by three, AMU went on an 11-2 run to take their biggest lead at six. Gianna Santacroce hit two threes and Casey Humphrey hit a pair of jumpers during the run. The teams traded jumpers in the final 16 seconds to provide the halftime score.
A low-scoring third quarter kept Ave Maria in front following halftime. Warner made just four of their 14 shots in the third quarter, while a better mark from the Gyrenes (four for eleven) was offset by seven turnovers. Warner got as close as two points, 37-35, but a quick 6-0 run from the Gyrenes re-extended the lead to eight with 2:49 on the clock. That lead would remain in AMU's grasp, as the Gyrenes headed to the fourth up 48-41.
Warner tried to rally in the fourth quarter, cutting the Gyrene lead to one, 53-52, with 1:42 to play. On the next possession, Santacroce buried a massive three to re-extend the lead to four. After Warner made one of two free throws, the Gyrenes scored on a second chance opportunity from Colleen Shanahan. Warner would hit a three to cut the lead to two with 10 seconds left, but four free throws from the Gyrenes put it away.
The shooting of Gianna Santacroce proved to be the difference in the win, as the freshman hit six three-pointers en route to a 23-point performance. Lavariah Armstead was also in double figures with 13 points, while Colleen Shanahan narrowly missed out on a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.
Next week will be a busy one for the Gyrenes, who will play three games in the span of five days. The stretch begins Tuesday, when AMU takes to the road to take on the Bobcats of St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens. The next home game follows on Thursday, as the No. 2 team in the nation comes to town in the form of the Southeastern University Fire.
