Winfield, Kan.- The University of Saint Mary Women's Basketball team played against Southwestern College tonight, resulting in a 68-45 win. The Spires are now 12-8 overall and 8-6 in conference play.

After a slow first two minutes for both teams, Daija Planas got the Spires on the board with a three-pointer to take the early lead. Jerrica Johnson and Shelby Salter added layups later in the quarter to help Saint Mary tie the game at seven. With under a minute to go in the quarter, Alex Specht made a jumper to give the Spires a 14-13 lead. Planas again got things going for the Spires to start the second quarter as she hit a layup to extend their lead. Both teams went back and forth as the quarter went on, and with under two minutes to go in the half, Specht hit another crucial shot to give USM the 26-22 lead heading into halftime.

The Spires came out strong to begin the second half as Tanea Sims and Johnson hit back-to-back shots giving the team much-needed momentum. As the quarter continued, the Saint Mary defense continued to get stops and extend the lead. Later, Kaylani Hoskin and Chyanne Aaron hit big shots to make it 54-33 in favor of the Spires. As the fourth quarter began, USM kept its foot on the gas, making sure Southwestern could do to get back in the game. The Spire defense forced 23 turnovers and was able to close the game out with a 68-45 win. Specht led the way for Saint Mary on offense with 11 points and eight rebounds on the night.

Up Next

The Spires will play McPherson College at 5 p.m. on Thursday in Ryan Sports Center.