AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team earned their most impressive win of the 2023-24 season to date, defeating the Cougars of the University of Saint Francis, 65-51, Friday night at Donahue Gym. The Gyrenes shut down Saint Francis, who were picked to finish in the top half of the Crossroads League in the preseason, holding the Cougars to 26.9 percent from the field, almost 20 points below their season average.

Neither team started particularly well, with Saint Francis holding a lead of just 6-4 at the first media timeout, almost six minutes into the contest. The scoring picked up in the final four minutes of the opening frame, with the Cougars keeping the lead throughout, although the lead never eclipsed five points for the visitors, who took a 19-14 lead into the second. 

Ave Maria's defense clamped down further on Saint Francis in the second quarter, keeping the Cougars off the board for more than seven minutes. However, AMU's offense could only manage eight points in the frame, including tying and go-ahead three-pointers from Maria Kuhlman to give Ave Maria a 22-19 lead. Saint Francis responded with the final six points of the first half, giving the lead back to the Cougars, 25-22, entering halftime.

It took less than a minute for the Gyrenes to reclaim the lead in the third quarter, as Gianna Santacroce knocked down a pair of three-pointers to give AMU a 28-25 lead and force a Saint Francis timeout. That sparked the Gyrenes to their best quarter of the evening, as AMU outscored USF 21-9 in the ten minutes following halftime. Ave Maria led by as many as 13 points in the third, and took a 43-34 lead into the fourth.

Saint Francis tried to claw back into the game into the fourth quarter, getting as close as eight points. However, the Gyrenes made the plays they needed to keep the Cougars at bay, never letting the visitors from the Hoosier State make a serious comeback attempt. The Gyrenes made eleven consecutive free throws in the fourth, helping to ice away a third straight win. 

Emily Rapacz had one of her best outings of the season Friday night, finishing with 15 points, eleven rebounds, and four steals. Kuhlman made three three-pointers to follow with nine points, while both Casey Humphrey and Lavariah Armstead scored eight. For the game, Ave Maria made 21 of their 23 free throw attempts, crucial for a team that entered the game shooting 67.5 percent from the free throw line.

Following Friday's win, AMU will have less than 48 hours to prepare for their biggest NAIA test of the season. Ave Maria will host the third-ranked team in the nation, Campbellsville University, at Donahue Gym Sunday afternoon. A win would mark AMU's second straight season with a win over a top ten opponent, after the Gyrenes beat Southeastern last season. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Ave Maria.