LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team was doomed by a cold shooting night on Thursday, falling 65-57 to the Southeastern University Fire at The Furnace in Lakeland. The Gyrenes shot just 31.9 percent from the field - the second lowest mark of the season - and 11.1 percent from three-point territory, a season low.

Early on, it was the Gyrenes that were in control of the game. Ave Maria did not trail in the first quarter, holding multiple seven-point leads in the opening ten minutes of the contest. AMU held leads of 15-8 and 17-10 before a three-pointer from Southeastern's Emilia Sexton cut the Gyrene lead down to four at the end of the first quarter. 

AMU's offensive struggles began in earnest in the second quarter, when the Fire held the Gyrenes to just two made field goals and eight points. After a three-pointer from Emily Rapacz gave Ave Maria their largest lead of the night, 23-15, with 7:12 remaining in the half, AMU did not make a field goal for the remainder of the half. Southeastern went on a 14-2 run in that seven minute span, taking a 29-25 lead into the second half.

Southeastern kept that momentum going into the third quarter, never relinquishing the lead back to the Gyrenes. The Fire led by as many as nine points, powered by a 10-2 run that extended a one point lead to nine. The Gyrenes did not go away, however, and scored six of the quarter's final eight points to trim the Southeastern lead down to five at the end of the frame.

The Gyrenes hung around in the fourth quarter, twice cutting the Fire lead to three points. However, Southeastern responded on both occasions by immediately pushing the lead back up, including back-to-back three-pointers with less than six minutes to play to stretch the lead to nine. Although the lead never grew past nine, the Gyrenes could not come up with another rally down the stretch.

Emily Rapacz led the way for the Gyrenes, recording her first double-double of the season with 16 points and ten rebounds. Her 16 point effort was also her second-highest total of the season. Rapacz was joined in double figures by Grace Field, who continued her string of double-doubles with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Field has recorded a double-double in each of AMU's five conference games in 2023, and has ten or more rebounds in each of her last nine games.

Ave Maria, who now holds a 6-3 record in SUN play, will look to get back in the win column and secure their second consecutive winning season on Saturday, when the Webber International University Warriors come to Donahue Gym. The Gyrenes are in search of a season sweep of the Warriors, which would be the program's first since the 2018-2019 season. Tipoff from Ave Maria is slated for 2:00 p.m.