Fire Athletics
AVE MARIA, Fla. – In a back and forth contest, the No. 2 ranked Southeastern University women’s basketball team grabbed their 20th win of the season with a 55-51 victory over Sun Conference opponent, Ave Maria University to advance to 20-1 and 9-0 in SUN play.
the Fire got on the board first with Angela Perry’s first points of the contest but seven consecutive points by the Gyrenes gave them a 7-2 advantage four minutes into the first quarter. After four more lead changes through the remainder of the quarter, the Gyrenes had the 17-16 advantage going into the second quarter after the Fire struggled from distance going 1-6 from beyond the arc.
Four consecutive points by Marta Aranda tilted the scales back in favor of the Fire as they took the 20-17 edge early in the second quarter. The Gyrenes continued their strong showing from three point range with back-to-back baskets to tie things up at 25 with just under five minutes to play before the half. The teams continued to battle with neither being able to grab the advantage heading into the locker room as they concluded the first 20 minutes with a 29-29 tie.
The Fire began to pull away from the Gyrenes in the third quarter after putting together an 8-0 run with Leilah Vigil contributing to five of those eight points. The late quarter run allowed the Fire a 45-38 lead heading into the final quarter after shooting 50% from the field and from beyond the arc. The fourth quarter saw the Fire lead by as much as nine but multiple missed opportunities by the Gyrenes with the clock winding down lent the Fire the 55-51 victory.
Leilah Vigil led the Fire in points and rebounds and recorded her first double-double of the season after recording 14 points and 11 rebounds. Angela Perry ended the night with 12 points while Rebecca Cook ended a strong defensive showing with eight rebounds, three steals, and four blocks.