DALLAS, TEXAS- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team ended their trip west on a positive note on Friday, erasing a 13-point deficit in a 57-46 victory over the Dallas Christian College Crusaders. After a sleepy first half, the Gyrenes outscored Dallas Christian 41-20 in the second half to pull away with a victory.
Ave Maria's defense locked up Dallas Christian in the first quarter, holding the Crusaders to just four points. Dallas Christian tied the game at four with seven minutes left in the quarter, and did not score for the remainder of the frame. However, the Gyrenes' offense was unable to take advantage, scoring just eight points in the opening frame to take an 8-4 lead after the opening ten minutes.
In the second quarter, Ave Maria stayed cold offensively with another eight points, while the Crusaders poured in 21 points to take a 25-16 lead into the halftime break. The Gyrenes scored five straight points to start the quarter, then fell victim to a 21-3 run from the Crusaders. AMU made just one field goal in the final five minutes, and needed to mount a comeback entering the second half.
Dallas Christian opened up their lead to 13 points early in the third quarter, but the Gyrenes refused to lay down for a winless roadtrip. The Gyrenes ended the third on a 17-5 run, getting Dallas Christian's lead down to 36-35. After scoring just 16 points in the first half, the Gyrenes scored 19 in the third quarter to put themselves in a position for the comeback win.
Down by one heading into the fourth, the Gyrenes imposed their will down the stretch. AMU outscored the hosts 22-10 in the final ten minutes, taking the lead for good on a Mary Smith three-pointer in the opening moments of the frame. Dallas Christian was held to just two field goals in the fourth quarter, as the Gyrenes held the Crusaders to 20 second half points.
Freshman Mary Smith had a standout performance for AMU, scoring 16 points in just 15 minutes on the floor. Smith made five of her eight field goal attempts, as well as all five free throws - a key for a Gyrene team that missed 16 free throws on Friday. The only other Gyrene in double figures was Casey Humphrey, who scored ten points despite making just one field goal, thanks to seven free throws.
The next month will be a quiet one for the Gyrenes, who will play just one countable game and two exhibitions in the next 33 days. The countable contest will come on Wednesday, when AMU travels across Alligator Alley for a meeting with the University of Fort Lauderdale. Ave Maria will be going for the season sweep of the Eagles following a 82-54 win at Donahue Gym last month. Tipoff from Broward County is set for 6:00 p.m.
