Men's Basketball Falls Short in Thriller Against Ottawa, 65-63

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - The University of Saint Mary men's basketball team saw a hard-fought battle slip through their fingers falling to Ottawa University 65-63 in a clash of KCAC heavyweights. Despite holding a 6-point lead with under 1:20 left in regulation, the Spires were unable to seal the game as Ottawa closed with an 8-0 run to hand Saint Mary just their second conference loss of the season.

The game, featuring two of the KCAC's top four teams, was as competitive as advertised. The Spires led by two at halftime and extended their lead to as many as 10 points in the second half. However, Ottawa capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 22 points off offensive rebounds compared to Saint Mary's 9.

Saint Mary had one final chance to win or force overtime in the closing seconds. Trailing by two, the Spires executed a play that got Kaeden Bonner a clean look at the rim, but the layup narrowly missed, sealing the Braves' victory.

Bryce Johnson led the Spires with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Joey Schultz added 13 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Jordan Brown chipped in 11 points, and Bonner contributed nine points.

While the Spires outshot Ottawa from the field (38.3% to 36.1%) and took care of the basketball with just 10 turnovers, their struggles at the free-throw line (63.2%) and on the glass proved costly. Ottawa's 16-for-17 (94.1%) performance from the stripe and their 38-31 rebounding edge, including 15 offensive boards, were key factors in the game's outcome.

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The loss drops Saint Mary to 14-5 overall and 11-2 in the KCAC, but the team remains in strong position in the conference standings. They will look to bounce back this Saturday, January 25th, when they host Bethany College at 5 PM at Ryan Sports Center.