Kansas City, Mo.— The University of Saint Mary used a late 3-pointer from Abby Wendte and game changing fire power off the bench to pull out a 73-69 road win over Avila (Mo.) on Wednesday evening at Mabee Fieldhouse.

USM led 35-33 at halftime after two late free throws by Carpenter and battling back after being outscored 12-19 in the first quarter, yet still had to withstand numerous Eagle runs. Melton's jumper with 5:55 left in the third pushed the Avila lead to 45-37 before the Spires responded. Saint Mary's answer came through balanced offense and timely defense. A layup by Cady Huffman, assisted by Carpenter, cut the deficit to 50-46 late in the third and helped swing momentum heading to the fourth, where the Spires outscored Avila 23-14.

Trailing in a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Spires grabbed the lead for good when Wendte knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:37 remaining to make it 62-61. From there, the Spires closed the game at the free-throw line, as Quinn Carpenter, Keely Barnard and Summer Wieneke combined to convert crucial attempts in the final seconds to keep Avila at bay.

Carpenter and Wieneke led the Spires with 16 points apiece. Carpenter went 5 of 7 from the field and 5 of 9 at the line, while Wieneke added three 3-pointers and a perfect 5 of 5 performance at the stripe, including a 3-pointer late in the first quarter that kept Saint Mary within striking distance. Huffman provided a pivotal interior presence with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, adding four blocks on 6-of-9 shooting. Saige Grampsas would end with an eye catching 6 assists on the evening to go along with 2 rebounds, and 2 points.

Avila was paced by Wright, who scored a game-high 24 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists while going 12 of 13 at the line. Melton added 19 points and eight boards on 7-of-17 shooting, including a 3-pointer, as the Eagles shot 37.3% from the floor (22 of 59) and 81.5% from the line (22 of 27). Avila forced 19 Saint Mary turnovers but was hurt by its own 14 giveaways and a 3-of-12 mark from beyond the arc.

Wieneke's two free throws with four seconds left provided the final margin for Saint Mary, which closed out a tightly contested KCAC face-off that saw multiple lead changes in the second half from two teams battling for their postseason standing. The Spires' energy and grit off the bench from Wieneke, Huffman, and Carpenter earned the Spires the win this evening alongside a rebounding edge and late-game composure at the line that proved decisive in securing the road victory. Saint Mary finished the night shooting 40.7% from the field (24 of 59) and 26.7% from 3-point range (8 of 30) while holding a narrow 38-37 edge on the glass.

Up next, the Spires will return to the Ryan Sports Center to honor their seniors at Senior Night when they face the Tabor College Bluejays this Saturday, February 14^th at 5:00 p.m.