Leavenworth, Kan.—Spire women's basketball used a dominant second quarter and timely free-throw shooting down the stretch to defeat Ottawa 77-72 on Wednesday night in their final home game of the regular season in the Ryan Sports Center.

After the game was tied 15-15 late in the first quarter, the Spires seized control with a 25-14 advantage in the second to build a double-digit cushion they would not relinquish. Saige Grampsas led Saint Mary with a near double-double, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists while knocking down three 3-pointers. The Spires' offensive threats also featured 11 points apiece from Abby Wendte and Addison Tower. Wendte added five rebounds and went 5-for-6 at the stripe, while Tower chipped in two rebounds and two assists as Saint Mary's perimeter shooting and depth helped offset Ottawa's trips to the free-throw line, in a showdown that saw a grand total of 50 foul calls in 40 minutes of play.

USM trailed 18-16 after Ottawa's Dominique Schutte hit a 3-pointer in the final minute of the first quarter, but a free throw by Keely Barnard cut the deficit to 18-17 heading into the second. Barnard then buried a 3-pointer early in the second quarter to ignite the decisive run as the Spires outscored Ottawa by 11 in the frame. A late layup from Wendte stretched the advantage as Saint Mary built a halftime cushion that reached 42-32 before the break.

The Spires continued to extend this lead to 44-32 on a layup by Tower early after the break and maintained control behind steady half-court defense. Ottawa chipped away in the fourth, using aggressive takes to the bucket and free throws to stay within striking distance. A jumper from Arnsman cut the Saint Mary lead to 59-53 midway through the final quarter, and Patterson's layup made it a nail-biting one-possession game at 70-67 with under two minutes to play.

The Spires remained collected and responded by tightening up defensively and converting at the line in the final minute. Ottawa's last push came on a deep 3-pointer from Schutte in the closing seconds, trimming the margin to 77-72, but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit built by the Spires' second-quarter offensive spurt and late-game composure.

USM finished 22 of 56 from the field (39.3 percent) and were effective from beyond the arc, hitting nine 3-pointers. Saint Mary also went 24 of 34 at the line and held a 29-26 edge on the glass while recording 13 assists on 22 made field goals. Ottawa shot 38.9 percent (21 of 54) and stayed close by going 27 of 34 at the stripe, but managed only three 3-pointers on the night.

The time has flown by and your Spire women's team will travel to Southwestern College this Saturday, February 21^st at 1:00 p.m. in their final regular season game against the Moundbuilders. With one left, USM currently sits at fourth in the standings with the potential opportunity to host the first round of the KCAC Tournament.