North Newton, Kan.— The Spires broke open a close game in the second quarter and rolled to a 35-6 flag victory over the Bethel College Threshers on Saturday at Thresher Stadium, using a safety, four rushing touchdowns from Kyendra Thomas and two interceptions from Aiva Lavea to take control of the afternoon.

USM led 7-6 after the first quarter, then turned the game and momentum firmly in their favor with a 15-point second quarter. Thomas gave USM the early advantage with a first-quarter touchdown at the 7:41 mark, but Bethel answered late in the quarter when Bundy scored with 38 seconds left to trim the margin to one. The Spires responded quickly in the second, recording a safety with 7:37 remaining for a 9-6 lead before Thomas struck again on a two-play drive with 1:16 left in the half. Thomas added another short rushing touchdown with 43 seconds remaining, and the extra point pushed the Spires to a 21-6 halftime lead.

Thomas remained the focal point throughout the USM offense. She finished with 185 rushing yards on 11 carries and scored four times on the ground, including a 72-yard touchdown run with 7:18 left in the third quarter that stretched the lead to 28-6. She also completed 7 of 24 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, accounting for the bulk of Saint Mary's offense as the Spires produced 318 total yards on 42 plays, including 233 on the ground.

The Spire defense built onto the momentum and consistently gave the offense favorable field position and never allowed Bethel to build on its first-quarter score. The Spires held Bethel to 165 total yards and limited the Threshers to 1-of-9 on third down. Lavea led the way with two interceptions for 29 return yards. Her 24-yard return of an interception at the start of the fourth quarter set up Saint Mary in scoring position, and Thomas converted that opportunity into a 25-yard touchdown run with 10:34 left to cap the scoring at 35-6.

The Threshers ran 54 plays but managed just 3.1 yards per snap. Bundy accounted for the home team's lone touchdown and finished with 80 rushing yards on 21 carries. For Saint Mary, Eli Miranda added two catches for 29 yards and chipped in eight rushing yards. By the end, the Spires had scored in every quarter and paired explosive offense with timely defensive stops, with Lavea's fourth-quarter interception and Thomas' final touchdown providing the final blow.

USM will stay on the road for a mid-week match up against the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes on Wednesday, April 8^th at JRI Stadium Graves Family Sports Complex in Salina, Kansas with game time set for 3:00 p.m.