LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's basketball team could not move into first place Saturday afternoon, as a slow start doomed the Gyrenes in a 84-59 defeat at the hands of the Southeastern University Fire. Ave Maria found themselves down 14 points at the end of the first quarter, and were never able to recover as Southeastern held their spot as the top team in the conference. The Gyrenes and Fire now split the season series, with each team winning on their home floor.
Southeastern took the lead for good less than two minutes into the game, and never relinquished the edge. The Fire led by as many as 19 points in the first quarter, and built their lead to 20 points in the second quarter. The Gyrenes never got closer than eleven points after the opening frame, and Southeastern built their lead out to 27 points before concluding the game with a 25-point victory.
The main difference between the Fire and the Gyrenes Saturday afternoon came from beyond the three-point arc. Southeastern scored 51 points from long distance, making 17 of 36 tries, while the Gyrenes scored just nine, making 3 of 16 attempts. AMU tried to make up the difference inside, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and outscoring Southeastern 30-18 in the paint, but the 42-point edge from long range was too much to overcome.
Three Gyrenes were in double figures in the losing effort, with both Maria Kuhlman and Isabella Starzyk scoring a team-high eleven points. Colleen Shanahan also added ten points and six rebounds. Starzyk and Shanahan were both efficient in their time on the floor, combining to shoot 60 percent from the floor. Kuhlman and Shanahan both grabbed six rebounds, with Allison Fifield and Casey Humphrey also ending with six.
Ave Maria now sits 5-3 in Sun Conference play, tied for third place and two games behind first place Keiser. The Gyrenes return to the floor Wednesday night at the new Tom Golisano Field House, welcoming the Royals of Warner University to town. AMU will look for a season sweep of the Royals as the Gyrenes continue to battle for positioning in the league. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Ave Maria.
