BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Despite having a chance to tie the game late, the College of Coastal Georgia women's basketball team dropped their third consecutive contest to the Ave Maria Gyrenes by a final of 55-51 inside Coffin Gym on Wednesday night.
Both teams traded baskets in the early part of the first quarter as the Mariners (10-9, 3-8 SUN) took their first lead of the game on a Peyton Shafer layup making the score 6-4. That layup from Shafer sparked a quick but efficient 6-2 run as another Shafer layup bookended the run as CCGA led 10-6 with 6:14 left in the quarter. Alli Stone gave the Mariners their largest lead of the first half at five with 4:34 left in the quarter, but the Gyrenes (11-12, 7-5 SUN) did not waste anytime getting back into the game as they ended the first quarter on an 8-1 run and took a 19-15 lead into the second quarter.
Whatever momentum both teams garnered in the first quarter was left behind when the buzzer sounded as both teams struggled to score in the first half, especially the home team Mariners. Ave Maria outscored the Mariners 13-9 in the quarter and both teams shot less than 32 percent in the quarter as the offense disappeared. CCGA shot just 2-15 from the field in the quarter and trailed by eight, 32-24, going into halftime.
Shafer led the way at the half with 11 of the 24 points for the Mariners on 4-7 shooting and a perfect 1-1 from three, also grabbing four rebounds, dishing one assist, and snatching two steals. No other Mariner scored more than four points in the half.
Offense was at a premium once again for both sides in the third as both teams combined for just 25 points in 10 minutes, with CCGA winning the quarter 13-12. AMU, however, made the most of their opportunities, shooting 6-12 in the quarter and maintained their lead as they led 44-37 going into the final quarter.
In the fourth, the Mariners once again outscored the Gyrenes 14-11, and got right back in the ballgame with just minutes to play. With four minutes left in the game, the Mariners used a 5-0 run led by Tyler Butler and Shafer to cut the lead to just two with 3:15 left in the game. Ave Maria and CCGA traded free throws over the next minutes, and after getting fouled in the paint, Butler found herself at the line once again looking to tie the game with 12 seconds left. Butler proceeded to go 1-2 from the stripe, and even with some late shenanigans, the Gyrenes were able to ice the game from the free throw line to take the conference matchup 55-51.
Shafer finished with a team high and career high 20 points on 6-16 shooting from the field. She also finished with five rebounds, three assists, and four steals, bringing her total to 54 on the season, which puts her in sole position of seventh place all time in single season steals. Butler finished as the next highest scorer with nine points while also grabbing nine rebounds.
CCGA will now look to regroup as they are set to travel to Sarasota, Fla. to take on the New College of Florida Mighty Banyan. Tip off is set for 5:00 p.m.
