Ottawa, Kan.- The University of Saint Mary Men's Basketball team opened their season Friday night against Haskell Indian Nations, winning 88-80.

The Spires got ahead early in the first half and, after five minutes, had a seven-point lead over the Fightin' Indians. With just under ten minutes to go, Saint Mary extended the lead to eleven, making the score 27-16. As the half came to a close, Haskell had chipped away, leaving Saint Mary with a 39-36 lead entering halftime.

In the second half, the Spires continued to make baskets and kept Haskell out of rhythm on defense, building another eleven-point lead at 55-44. At the midway point of the second half, Braylen Duncan made two free throws to give the Spires a comfortable 60-46 lead over Haskell. The Fightin' Indians attempted to come back late and threaten the Saint Mary lead like they did to end the first half. However, the Spire defense held strong, and the game ended in an 88-80 victory.

Joe Burgos led Saint Mary on offense with 19 points going seven for fifteen with three threes, while Quentin Williams led the team with 11 rebounds.

Up Next

The Spires will conclude the Ottawa Invitational Against Kansas Christian College at 5 p.m. on Saturday in Ottawa, Kansas.