Leavenworth, Kan.—In what might have been the most electrifying night of basketball so far in this 2025 season at Ryan Sports Center, University of Saint Mary Spires came from behind with a monster second half to clinch a narrow 81-78 victory over the Avila Eagles on Wednesday, December 10th.

During the first half Jordan Brown started strong with a quick and easy 3 from deep, giving the Spires an early lead. However, the Eagles, with James Ross III and Gio Mack shooting successfully from beyond the arc, would make it an uphill battle for the Spires and managed a significant 10-point lead. USM's Terrius Walker made his mark in the first half inside with 8 points down-low, leading his team on a scoring run along with the 12 first half points from Brown. However, the Spires still had a battle ahead as they trailed 43-36 at the half.

The second period saw nothing but gritty defensive stops, impressive inside play with Walker adding another 11 points to his personal tally, back and forth free throws, and a whole lot of drama with 11 free throws shot between the Spires and Eagles in the final 20 seconds of play. Cam Edwards and Terrius Walker stepped up big time for the Spires, igniting a rally within the USM squad. It was an entire team effort to climb their way back in, but it paid off in a huge way as USM executed crucial free throws in the dying moments of the game. With the Spires down 1 and the final 5 seconds ticking away, Damare Smith put up a three from the logo and successfully drew the foul on the Eagles to send himself to the line to shoot game clinching free throws in the final 0.8 seconds of the game. Smith absolutely nailed his three extra throws and also sank an additional two FTs off a technical foul against the Eagles to ensure a victorious end for the Spires, with the buzzer sounding and the score board reading 81-78 in favor of the good guys.

Remarkable performances came from the entire team, especially Terrius Walker and Jordan Brown, each scoring 19 points with Brown also gathering 12 rebounds. The stat sheet doesn't paint an accurate picture of how hard Jason Parson II worked with 4 assists, 11 rebounds, 1 steal and a block. Parson was a force to be reckoned with on defense, ensuring a very uncomfortable game for whoever he was tasked with guarding. Cam Edwards also had himself a night with 13 points, 2 steals, and a block. USM continues to work tirelessly to head into Christmas break on a high as they prepare to hit the road for Salina, Kansas to face off against the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes in Mabee Arena on Saturday, December 13^th with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m.