LAKE WALES, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball continued their knack for the dramatics on Thursday evening, erasing a 12-point fourth quarter deficit in a 58-57 victory over the Royals of Warner University in Lake Wales. The Gyrenes' win clinched a winning season for AMU, and kept Ave Maria's hopes of a home game in The Sun Conference Tournament alive.

The Gyrenes were ice cold in the first half, scoring just 18 points in the first 20 minutes. Ave Maria made just one of their 17 field goal attempts, a Colleen Shanahan layup, in the first quarter, then made just three of 15 shots in the second. AMU's 11.1 percent mark from the field in the first half helped Warner take a 28-18 lead into the halftime break. 

Ave Maria came to life in the third quarter, shooting better than 40 percent from the field to get back into the game. The key surge for the Gyrenes came in the final three and a half minutes, when Ave Maria finished the frame on a 7-0 run. Monica Behrend scored three of those seven points for AMU, and a layup at the end of the frame from Lavariah Armstead cut the Warner lead to four, 40-36.

Warner looked to take back control in the fourth quarter, starting the frame on a 7-0 run and leading by as many as 12, 52-40, with 5:47 remaining. Warner's lead was ten, 55-45, when Ave Maria's rally began with 3:19 to play. Over the next three minutes, the Gyrenes went on an 11-0 run, forcing four Warner turnovers and two missed shots before Casey Humphrey's runner in the lane gave AMU a 56-55 lead.

On Warner's next trip down the floor, the Gyrenes fouled the Royals with eleven seconds left, and Dianis Hurtado made both free throws to give the lead back to Warner. Ave Maria's final chance proved to be a mad scramble, as Humphrey turned it over but stole it back before being fouled with 2.5 seconds left. The freshman made both free throws to swing the lead back to AMU, and the Royals could not get a shot off before the buzzer. 

In addition to her game-winning free throws, Humphrey set a new school record with eight steals in the victory, four of which came in the fourth. She was also Ave Maria's leading scorer with 13 points. Lavariah Armstead and Emily Rapacz added eleven points each, while Armstead and Colleen Shanahan led the Gyrenes with seven rebounds a piece.

Entering Saturday's games, the Gyrenes could finish the season anywhere from fourth to sixth in The Sun Conference. To earn the fourth seed, and the home game that comes with it, the Gyrenes will need a win and a Florida Memorial win over Webber International University on Saturday. The Gyrenes' half of that deal is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Donahue Gym, as Ave Maria hosts the Seahawks of Keiser University.