Lindsborg, Kan.—A late push from the Spires came up just short Monday night, as the Spires fell 81-77 to Bethany (Kan.) in a road match up at Hahn Gymnasium despite a strong second-half rally.
The opening quarter set the tone for USM's uphill climb. Bethany shot efficiently out of the gate to build a small 24-19 lead after the first quarter, capped by a jumper from Lilyan Walden in the final seconds. The Spires answered with their first push in the second quarter, sparked by perimeter shooting and composure at the line. Summer Wieneke had a strong night, and drilled a 3-pointer to bring Saint Mary within 31-30, then knocked down two free throws on the next possession to give the Spires their first lead at 32-31. Bethany responded, however, and took a 40-34 advantage into halftime.

The Spires' biggest surge came after halftime. Bethany pushed its lead into double figures early in the third quarter before Saint Mary answered with a key stretch sparked by the perimeter game. A 3-pointer by Jaylee Levario trimmed the deficit and helped ignite the comeback, and the Spires continued to chip away, closing the frame on a strong note. Cady Huffman's jumper at the buzzer pulled USM within 59-54 heading to the fourth, setting up a back-and-forth final 10 minutes.

USM continued to apply pressure in the fourth quarter behind timely shooting and defensive stands. Grampsas connected from long range at the 8:34 mark to cut the Bethany led to 63-57, and the Spires' defense forced turnovers to keep the game within reach. Ultimately, Bethany's ability to answer with high-percentage looks and enough makes at the stripe—finishing 16 of 25 at the line—kept the Spires from completing the comeback.

Trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, the Spires clawed back to within four in the final seconds. Saige Grampsas buried a deep 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining to pull Saint Mary within 79-75, and after a few Swede free throws, A'Myah Bankston grabbed an offensive rebound and scored at the horn to cap the Spires' scoring. Bethany, however, converted enough at the line down the stretch to preserve the four-point margin and close out the game.

Bethany's shooting efficiency proved to be the difference statistically. The home side finished 29 of 53 from the field (54.7%) and 7 of 11 from beyond the arc, offsetting 17 turnovers forced in part by the Spires' pressure. Saint Mary generated more attempts and extra possessions, going 28 of 75 from the floor and 8 of 36 from 3-point range, while posting a perfect 13-for-13 performance at the free-throw line and owning a 33-30 edge on the glass, including 13 offensive rebounds.

Wieneke and Keely Barnard led the Spires with 17 points apiece. Wieneke shot 6 of 12 from the field and 4 of 4 at the line, while Barnard knocked down three 3-pointers and provided an early spark, including a first-quarter triple that tied the game at 14-14. Grampsas added 12 points and 6 assists as a key playmaker in the second-half surge. For Bethany, Colbi Rignell led all scorers with 24 points, while Chloe Percy added 16 points and eight rebounds and Becca Unruh chipped in 13 points with three 3-pointers.

Up next, the Spire return to Leavenworth for a two-game home stint and face the #23 ranked Falcons of Friends University on campus at the Ryan Sports Center on Wednesday, January 28^th with tip-off set for 6:00 p.m.