Leavenworth, Kan.— A dominant first half from the University of Saint Mary could not withstand a surging second-half response from the Bethel College Threshers, as the Spires fell 61-73 on Saturday evening at the Ryan Sports Center.

USM controlled the opening 20 minutes, building a 40-31 halftime lead behind efficient perimeter play and timely scoring from Kaeden Bonner and Cam Edwards. The Spires used a 17-point early surge, highlighted by an exhilarating dunk from Terrius Walker and huge momentum off the bench from freshman Tyler Holmes to seize momentum and keep Bethel on its heels for much of the first period. Bonner later buried a 3-pointer with just over three minutes left in the half to stretch the advantage to roughly 39-23, and an Edwards free throw in the closing minutes pushed Saint Mary to 40 points before the break.

The game turned after halftime as Bethel's defensive pressure and rebounding presence began to dictate play. The Threshers outscored Saint Mary 42-21 in the second half, using their work on the glass and timely shooting to methodically erase the Spires' lead. Bethel finished with a 38-26 edge on the boards, including 17 offensive rebounds, which extended possessions and limited a large part of USM's transition opportunities.Midway through the second half, With the game tied at 51-51, Rodriguez from BC knocked down a 3-pointer at the 11:21 mark to pull the Threshers even and energize their bench. A few minutes later, with Bethel beginning to string together stops, Trenton Patterson connected from beyond the arc to give Bethel a 61-54 lead with 7:42 remaining, capping a decisive run that put the Spires in chase mode the rest of the way.

Saint Mary continued to battle defensively, but Bethel's balance and second-chance scoring proved difficult to overcome in the closing minutes. Rustan Griffen's layup in traffic with 2:40 to play pushed the margin to 68-56, and BC's Yakubu followed with another finish in the paint at the 2:02 mark to extend the Threshers' lead into double digits. Patterson then sealed the outcome at the foul line, sinking a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left to make it 72-59 and effectively close the door on a Spires comeback.

Despite the loss, the Spires showed strong stretches of offensive execution and interior play. USM shot 42.6% from the field (23 of 54) and outscored Bethel 34-24 in the paint while also tallying 10 fast-break points. Bonner led the perimeter effort with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while adding four rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes. In the frontcourt, Jason Parson II provided an efficient interior presence, finishing 3-for-3 from the field with six points, a game-high 11 rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. Bethel finished 27 of 63 (42.9%) from the floor and 11 of 27 (40.7%) from beyond the arc, using its perimeter shooting to offset Saint Mary's advantage inside.

This frustrating loss moved the Spires to 9-7 overall and 3-7 in KCAC action. Up next, USM stays home to face another conference foe in the York University Panthers on Wednesday, January 14^th with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m.