Leavenworth, Kan.- The University of Saint Mary Women's Basketball team hosted the Ottawa Braves in the first round of the KCAC Postseason Tournament on Wednesday, resulting in a 74-63 win. The Spires are now 22-5 overall on the year and have advanced into the semifinal round. 

Tanea Sims, KCAC Player of the Year, got the Spires going in the first quarter, scoring the first 8 of ten points for Saint Mary. Ottawa's three-point shooting kept this close, and a jump shot from the Braves gave them a one-point lead after the first quarter. Keely Barnard and Demi Aamold opened the next quarter with back-to-back threes, making the score 21-16 in favor of the Spires. With the help of a large crowd at Ryan Sports Center, USM took the momentum of the game and built a comfortable 14-point lead heading into the break.

Each team struggled to put points on the board out of halftime, with Saint Mary maintaining their 46-32 lead over the Braves. Free throws from Paige Pendley and Sims at the end of the third quarter helped get the Spire offense rolling again. Back-to-back layups from Alanis Delgado silenced a growing Braves comeback with five minutes left. The Spires continued to draw fouls around the basket and put the game away with free throws, winning 74-63.

Up Next

The Spires will host Friends University at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Ryan Sports Center.