Ave Maria University Athletics’ women’s basketball team lost 61-52 to the Xavier Gold Rush on Oct. 24 in Texarkana, Texas. Ashley Chilson led Ave Maria with 20 points and 11 rebounds in the defeat. The loss dropped Ave Maria to 0-2 on the season.
Chilson scored at least 20 points for the second consecutive game and recorded her second consecutive double-double. Elena Snyder added eight points and six rebounds for Ave Maria. Xavier led 22-16 after the first quarter and 32-23 at halftime.
Xavier maintains control early
Xavier opened the game with a 10-point lead before Chilson scored late in the first quarter to help Ave Maria cut the margin to six. The Gold Rush then used an 8-0 run in the second quarter to build its largest lead of the game at 14 points. Ave Maria answered late in the period, with a Snyder layup and free throws from Snyder and Chilson making the halftime deficit nine points.
Ave Maria trimmed the margin to six in the third quarter after free throws from Chilson and a layup by Talia Pellegrini. Parker Straub later made her first 3-pointer of the game, and Ava Zucco added a jumper to bring Ave Maria within three with a little more than a minute left in the period. Xavier scored four points in the final minute to take a 43-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
Zucco made a layup and Mylee Van hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter as Ave Maria tried to rally. Xavier responded with a run and outscored Ave Maria 18-16 in the final period. The Gold Rush held on for the 61-52 victory.
Home opener set for Oct. 31
Ave Maria will host the Fort Lauderdale Eagles in its home opener on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network. Ave Maria is 4-0 all-time against Fort Lauderdale since the programs first met in 2022.
FSB Take
Chilson’s consecutive 20-point games and double-doubles give Ave Maria a dependable source of production entering the home opener. Snyder’s eight points and six rebounds also provided a secondary contribution against Xavier. Ave Maria will need that production to carry over when it hosts Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 31.
Source: Original report