WINFIELD, Kan. – A strong effort on both sides of the court along with four players scoring in double-digits for the University of Saint Mary men's basketball team, nearly caused an upset against No. 8 Southwestern College Wednesday night. The Spires had one last chance with four seconds left, but could not convert on the final possession as they fell 77-76.

Saint Mary is now 9-15 overall and 9-10 in the KCAC on the season.

Saint Mary rallied back after trailing by as many as 12 points midway through the first half, and carried that momentum into the second half. The Spires scored the first five points of the second half, which included a go ahead three-pointer made by Raylon Howard to give Saint Mary a 38-37 lead over the No. 8 team in the nation.

Southwestern would not go away however, as they shot 45.5 percent from the field. The Spires' defense played well, denying a big run by Southwestern, and forced them to 15 turnovers. Despite the adversity, Southwestern was able to sneak away, avoiding the upset on their home court.

Howard led the Spires with 20 points, Teyvon Lundy had 18, while Dan Hailey and Edvonte Copeland both had 12. The Spires shot 47.5 percent from the field and a stunning 63.2 percent from the three-point line.

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The Spires continue their conference road trip when they travel to Tabor College on Saturday. Tipoff for the game is set for 7 p.m.