THOMASVILLE, Ga. – On a night that featured only six active players, the Thomas University Women's basketball team saw four of those players play 37 minutes, but once again, key missed baskets and turnovers ultimately doomed TU as the Hunter Green & White fell to Ave Maria 58-48 Thursday night.
 
The Lady Night Hawks (0-3, 0-3 TSC) caused issues for Ave Maria (2-4, 1-2 TSC), forcing 25 turnovers on a Gyrene team that averages only 17.6 a game.  Defensively, TU held AMU to five points through the first seven minutes of the game, before Ave Maria went on a 7-0 scoring spurt to extend their lead to 12-4.  A pair of good free throws from Junior Forward Dyani Sheppard cut the deficit to six with 26 seconds remaining in the first period.  Following Syanne Rowe's made free throw for AMU, Senior Guard Alexis Powell finished the period with a layup to make the score 13-8 in favor of Ave Maria.
 
The second period saw scoring droughts in two different occasions; both lasting precisely one minute and 11 seconds, but Ave Maria saw its most scoring in one period with 20.  As for Thomas, seven of its 12 points from Period 2 came from the charity stripe.
 
TU saw its shooting percentage improve in the third period, converting 30.8% of shots compared to their 25.6% first-half average.
 
Down by 19 with 8:53 remaining in the game, the Lady Night Hawks spent nearly the next four minutes building a 10-2 scoring run that cut Ave Maria's lead to 51-40.  The Hunter Green & White would fight harder to put the deficit into single digits at the 2:39 mark from a made layup from Senior Forward Destiny Reed to make the score 57-48 for AMU.  Late, consecutive turnovers from Ave Maria gave TU chances to capitalize, but a missed 3-Pointer from Alexis Powell and missed free throws from Senior Alisha Clayton gave momentum back to the Gyrenes, who were able to control the clock and add a good free throw from Catie Reszel to give Ave Maria a 58-48 TSC win.
 
One silver lining for the Lady Night Hawks was the play of Destiny Reed; the Dawson, Ga. native nearly had a double-double on the night, scoring 14 points and tallying nine rebounds and five steals.  Alexis Powell and Sophomore Guard Emiah Downie led all Thomas' scorers with 15 Points apiece.
 
The Lady Night Hawks are back in action Saturday afternoon, as the team hosts Keiser University.  Tipoff at TU Gymnasium is slated for 2 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU women's basketball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksWBKB.