AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team could not complete their comeback attempt in a bizarre game Thursday night, falling 77-72 at Donahue Gym to the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia. The Mariners won despite finishing the game with three players on the floor, due to five players fouling out. The teams combined for 54 turnovers, 63 fouls, and 79 free throw attempts.
Both teams started fast on Thursday night, as the two squads combined for 42 points in the first ten minutes. The Mariners led by as many as six points in the first quarter, but a 7-1 run from the Gyrenes would eventually tie the score at 16. Coastal Georgia would do enough to hang onto the lead by the end of the first quarter, holding a 22-20 edge over the host Gyrenes.
Coastal Georgia was able to widen the lead in the second quarter, thanks to a surge from the Mariners. Ave Maria scored the first five points of the quarter to take a 25-22 lead, but Coastal Georgia proceeded to go on a 19-3 run, taking a 13-point lead of 41-28 with 1:25 remaining in the half. A quick 7-2 run helped the Gyrenes close the gap before halftime, but Coastal still held a 43-35 lead heading into the break.
The Mariners kept their lead throughout the third quarter, with Ave Maria never getting closer than eight points and the lead growing as large as 14 points. The Gyrenes were held to 21.1 percent shooting in the third quarter, although AMU did rebound six of their 15 misses on the offensive end. The Gyrenes stayed in the game by forcing ten Mariner turnovers, and allowing Coastal Georgia to make just three field goals.
Ave Maria attempted to rally in what would prove to be a wild fourth quarter. The Mariners, who dressed just eight players, saw five players foul out of the game in the fourth. The Mariners played the final 1:10 of the game with four players, and the last nine seconds with three. Ave Maria got as close as two points in the final minutes of the game, but missed all five of their field goal attempts in the final minute to fall short against the visitors from the Peach State.
Emily Rapacz finished with a career-high 19 points in the losing effort, while Monica Behrend added 16 points off the bench. Lavariah Armstead scored 13 points, and Colleen Shanahan narrowly missed out on a double-double with eight points and 14 rebounds.
Following the loss, Saturday takes on added importance for the Gyrenes, who are looking to hang onto sixth place in The Sun Conference, and the conference tournament that comes with it. Ave Maria will host the Night Hawks of Thomas University at Donahue Gym, and will be looking for a season sweep after beating the Night Hawks in Thomasville back in November. Tipoff in Ave Maria is scheduled for 2 p.m.
