AVE MARIA, Fla. — Wednesday night wound up being an important win in Ave Maria Women's Basketball history as the Gyrenes won their 300^th game as a program. AMU took down the Warner Royals 58-45 to reach the milestone and absolutely dominated throughout the whole game.

The Gyrenes never trailed in the first home game of 2026, scoring the opening basket with a layup from Elena Barnes. Warner hit one of two free throws on the following possession and that would be the closest the Royals ever got to the Gyrenes. Ave Maria outscored Warner 17-3 for the rest of the quarter and led by 15 points after the opening 10 minutes. Ashley Chilson did most of the damage in the quarter, scoring 11 of the team's 19 points.

The second quarter was a bit closer, but the Gyrenes still outscored the Royals 14-10 in the frame. Ave Maria took a very comfortable 33-14 lead into the break. It was the first time since the season opener in 2024 that the Gyrenes had held a team to less than 15 points in half.

The Gyrenes kept extending their lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Royals 12-9. Ave Maria focused more on defense out of halftime and did a good job at limiting Warner's opportunities.

In the fourth, AMU hit their largest lead of the night at 27 points after two good free throws from Courtney Smith. In a rather foul-heavy game, nine of the 11 players that played for the Gyrenes stepped up to the charity stripe during the game. As a team, the Gyrenes went 15-for-28 from the free throw line.

Warner scored almost half of their points in the final six minutes of the game to turn a 27-point lead into a 13-point lead, but the Gyrenes remained in control the entire time. The margin never hit single digits during that run but did make the score look closer than the game actually was.

"It's important to just take care of business when you are supposed to take care of business," said head coach Jelani Akil following the game. "They were locked in the way they started the game. One thing we will look at on film is how we finish, how to play with a lead. But this is a great learning opportunity. Their effort was there and we will get better."

Chilson led the team with 22 points, matching her career high from the October game against Florida National. Gabby Beaupethuy was the other Gyrene in double-figures with 15 points.

As a team, the Gyrenes knocked down seven threes, getting multiple trifectas from Beauperthuy and Parker Straub.

With the win, Ave Maria improves to 6-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play. It is also the 300^th win in program history dating back to the first season in 2008-09.

"To be a part of 300 just speaks to the legacy of Women's Basketball at Ave Maria," said Akil. "The girls here that come to Ave Maria, they can get after it, and I am just really thankful to be a part of it."

The Gyrenes are on the road for the next two games as they travel to Keiser and St. Thomas. The road trip kicks off in West Palm Beach Wednesday, January 14, as the Gyrenes take on the Seahawks for the first time since eliminating them in the post season back in February of 2025. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.