Leavenworth, Kan.— Spire basketball cut a 17-point deficit to five but went scoreless over the final 55 seconds, falling to Park University 68-61 on Wednesday, November 11, at Ryan Sports Center in their 2026 home opener.
The Spires opened 1-of-16 from the field and committed nine turnovers in the first quarter.
Cady Huffman's put back with 3:39 remaining supplied their only field goal, and Boehm's jumper with two seconds left gave Park a 20-3 lead. USM began its response with five unanswered points in the second quarter, including a
Keely Barnard 3-pointer assisted by
Abby Wendte after Huffman blocked a shot and collected the rebound.
Kate Harter's put back brought the Spires within 24-16 with 4:37 left before halftime, and Wendte followed with a 3-pointer off
Riley Kerwin's assist to cut the margin to seven. After Miller's 3-pointer pushed the Pirates ahead 31-20, the Spires scored six straight points. Kerwin capped that stretch with a basket assisted by Barnard at the 34-second mark. Spillman's layup gave Park a 33-26 halftime lead after the Spires won the second quarter 23-13.
Wendte answered Jiron's opening third-quarter 3-pointer with one of their own, but Park followed with a 6-0 run to lead 42-29 with 6:37 remaining.
A'Myah Bankston hit a 3-pointer before Huffman's putback trimmed the deficit to eight. Wendte's layup later brought the Spires within 44-37, and Kerwin hit another 3-pointer in the final minute. The Pirates carried a 50-40 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Wendte scored 12 of their game-high 26 points in the fourth. A 3-pointer with 7:40 left was followed by Wendte's steal and assist on Bankston's layup, bringing the Spires within 58-52. Baskets by Boehm and Escobar restored Park's double-digit lead, but Wendte answered with another 3-pointer and two consecutive two-point baskets. The second, assisted by Kerwin, made it 64-59 with 3:15 remaining.
Wendte finished 10-of-19 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Huffman added eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, while Kerwin had eight points and five assists. Bankston scored seven points, Harter went 3-of-3 for six points and
Morgan Ruff collected six rebounds. Barnard contributed four points, five offensive rebounds and three assists. USM shot 34.3% overall and 8-of-26 from beyond the arc, turning 16 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points. Park held a 42-38 rebounding edge, outscored the Spires 38-24 in the paint and converted the Spires 18 turnovers into 18 points. Spillman led Park with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Davis scored a fast-break layup off Spillman's steal and assist to extend Park's lead to 66-59 with 2:37 left. Huffman's put back brought USM within five with 55 seconds remaining, but the Spires did not score again. After a Saint Mary turnover, Jiron made 1-of-2 free throws with 25 seconds left. Spillman added 1-of-2 with 14 seconds remaining, and Brynn Haas rebounded the missed second attempt to secure Park's final possession.
Coming Up…
That concludes USM's non-conference schedule as KCAC action prepares to officially heat up for the 2026 conference slate. The Spires are set to host the Evangel University Valor on Saturday, November 14 at 2 p.m. in the Ryan Sports Center.
