MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Ave Maria Women's Basketball team opened the 2025-26 season Friday afternoon in a neutral site clash with the William Carey Crusaders. A slow first half doomed the Gyrenes as they fell 73-56.
It was a rough start to the game for Ave Maria as they turned the ball over on the first four possessions. Just a little over five minutes into the game, Elena Barnes scored the first points of the season, sinking two free throws following a William Carey foul. WCU was leading by nine towards the end of the frame when Barnes hit a last second three to bring the deficit down to six heading into the second quarter.
Ashley Chilson led the second quarter off with a layup bringing Ave Maria within four points. Unfortunately, that is as close the Gyrenes would get for the remainder of the game. The Crusaders went on a 7-0 run following the layup, putting them out of reach. Heading into the break, the Gyrenes trailed 39-25.
The third quarter was the lone frame the Gyrenes won, outscoring the Crusaders 21-13. Ave Maria's longest run of the game came in this frame, going on a 12-0 run to get back within five points of the Crusaders. Barnes hit two three-pointers to get the run started. Chilson led the team in scoring in the third quarter with nine points, followed by Barnes with eight.
After a great third quarter, the Gyrenes saw themselves only down six heading into the final frame. Unfortunately, Ave Maria could not capitalize on the momentum from the third quarter and did not get on the scoreboard until four minutes into the frame. William Carey scored five points in that time to go up by 11. The Crusaders continued to grow the lead in the final minutes, going up by 17 by time the game was over.
Barnes led the team in scoring with 19 points, hitting four shots from downtown. Chilson was right behind her with 17 points and 11 rebounds, recording her first double-double of the season and her career. They were the only two Gyrenes to hit double digits.
With the loss, Ave Maria is 0-1 to start the season.
The Gyrenes will continue their stay in Alabama as they take on host Faulkner Saturday evening. It will be the first ever meeting between the Eagles and the Gyrenes on the basketball court. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. central, 6 p.m. eastern, and the game will be streamed live on Faulkner's YouTube channel.
