Salina, Kan.—USM saw tough competition against the Coyotes earlier this evening on Saturday, December 13^th as USM was edged out by KWU with a final score of 85-76 at Mabee Arena in Salina, Kansas. Despite a strong effort from the Spires, the Coyotes managed to secure a victory in a face-off that featured a series of back-and-forth plays and critical performances from both teams.

The evening kicked off with Kansas Wesleyan taking an early lead, with the first bucket being a 3-pointer from Matthew Garber. The Spires responded quickly, with Kaeden Bonner sinking a 3 from deep to balance the score. Jordan Brown's consecutive three-point shots then provided a temporary lead for USM, who were ahead by as much as 6 points during the first half. Unfortunately, the Coyotes would rally back to lead 49-43 by the end of the first half. The first 20-minutes was marked by significant scoring runs from both sides, coupled with defensive stops that led to foul shots benefiting Kansas Wesleyan.

In the second half, the competitive level and intensity continued once again with the Coyotes maintaining and building upon their lead, supported by consistent offense and a strengthened defense that forced turnovers from top Spires players like Cam Edwards and Terique Suwareh. Matthew Garber's multiple three-pointers were crushing for the Spires, giving Kansas Wesleyan a substantial lead going into the final few minutes.

The Coyotes solidified their control over the tempo of the game, extending their lead through strategic scoring and lock down defensive efforts. The Spires gave it their all in attempts to close the gap and rallied multiple times throughout the evening, but turnovers proved costly. The final tally reflected the competitive nature of the game, with KWU unfortunately finishing on top, 85-76.

Key performances for the Spires included a familiar name in Cam Edwards, who led the scoring with 20 points and a steal, followed by Jordan Brown with 17 points and 4 assists with additional significant contributions from Kaeden Bonner who added 16 points, 2 steals, and 2 assists. The Spires will take a break to relax and regroup to prepare for their next challenge after Christmas break against Haskell Indian Nations University on Wednesday, December 31th at 6:00 p.m. in Lawrence, Kansas.