AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Women's Basketball team led for the majority of the game in their first official home game of the season, leading for over 25 minutes. However, a slow fourth quarter allowed the Webber Warriors to surge back and beat the Gyrenes 66-60.
AMU took the lead about two minutes into the first quarter and led the Warriors for the rest of the frame. The lead was snatched with a three-pointer from Ashley Chilson and started an 8-0 run for the Gyrenes. Following the deep ball from Chilson, Giavanna Rogers fired a ball from downtown and Chilson closed the run with a layup that put the Gyrenes on top 10-4. Ave Maria had a nine-point lead at one point in the opening quarter, but a strong end from Webber made it a three-point game heading into the second frame.
The Warriors hit the first basket of the second quarter to tie the game at 20 and then led for a majority of the frame. Ave Maria worked their way back however and tied the game at 32 off a tree-pointer from Parker Straub with just a little over two minutes remaining in the half. Elena Barnes gave the Gyrenes the lead heading into the break with her first three-pointer of the game. After 20 minutes of action, Ave Maria went into the locker room up 35-32.
Ave Maria either led or was tied for the entire third quarter. Webber worked three ties in the frame, but the Gyrenes bounced back after every single one of them. Gabby Beauperthuy led the Ave Maria attack in the third quarter, scoring nine of the Gyrenes' 15 points. The senior hit jumpers on back-to-back possessions to end the frame and give AMU a 50-44 lead heading into the final quarter.
The Gyrenes played to protect their lead in the final 10 minutes but didn't have an answer for a desperate Warriors' team. Webber tied the game at 57 with a little over four minutes remaining. On the next possession, they took the lead and never gave it back. Ave Maria got the deficit down to one possession with 12 seconds remaining, but Webber hit their free throws to ice the game and take it 66-60.
Chilson led the team in scoring with 16 points, going 7-for-15 from the field and one free throw. Chilson also recorded her third double-double of the year by leading the team with 12 rebounds. Two more Gyrenes hit double-digits with Barnes scoring 14 and Beauperthuy scoring 11. In her first game back from injury, Tiffany Le recorded a team-high six assists.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 1-3 overall and starts conference play with a 0-1 record.
The Gyrenes are on the road for their next three games. The first game of the road stand is Wednesday, November 19, as Ave Maria heads north to Bradenton to take on the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans. It will be NCF's Sun Conference opener as they were the ninth wheel of the four Sun games playing on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.
