Kansas City, MO. - The University of Saint Mary men's basketball team continued their winning streak, defeating the Avila Eagles 92-80 in a hard-fought road matchup on Wednesday night. With the victory, the Spires improved to 8-3 overall and 6-0 in KCAC play, maintaining their unbeaten conference record. The game saw 17 lead changes and four ties, but the Spires surged in the second half with a balanced offensive attack and crucial defensive stops.

Avila jumped out to an early lead, capitalizing on efficient shooting from deep. Saint Mary kept pace with strong contributions from Damare Smith, who scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the first half. Despite trailing by as many as eight, the Spires battled back and entered halftime down just four, 41-37.

Saint Mary turned up the intensity in the second half, outscoring Avila 55-39. A 12-2 run midway through the period gave the Spires a lead they would never relinquish. Key three-pointers from Kaeden Bonner, who tallied 21 points off the bench, provided the offensive spark, while the defense forced 17 turnovers on the night, converting them into 17 points. A late surge extended Saint Mary's lead to 16 points, their largest of the game, as they closed out the contest with clutch free-throw shooting and disciplined play.

The dynamic Damare Smith led the Spires with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including three three-pointers. He added six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a stellar all-around effort. Coming off the bench, Bonner was electric, scoring 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including five makes from beyond the arc. Bryce Johnson contributed 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists while going 7-for-11 from the free-throw line, and Jordan Brown added 15 points, with eight coming from the charity stripe, while grabbing four rebounds in 36 minutes.

Saint Mary capitalized on Avila's mistakes, scoring 17 points off turnovers while limiting their own miscues to just seven. The Spires' bench outscored Avila's reserves 24-19, with Bonner leading the charge. Both teams were evenly matched in field goal percentage at 48.3%, but Saint Mary's second-half dominance and defensive intensity made the difference.

Up Next: 

The Spires are 8-3 overall and 6-0 in KCAC play and look to continue their win streak this weekend at home against Kansas Wesleyan at 7:00 p.m.