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In what became a battle of wills, the University of Saint Mary mens’ basketball team found itself in a physical and intense conference opener Thursday night.
Hosting its Kansas Athletic Collegiate Conference counterpart Sterling College, the Spires needed every ounce of energy and strength it had to top the visitors. But thanks to a hard-fought offensive stretch late in the ball game, USM pulled out a 63-58 victory.
“Both teams just battled tonight and it was a physical game out there,” USM head coach Jon Bishop said. “What the difference in the game was that three minute stretch where we had about three offensive rebounds and it just broke their back.”
The decisive span came with about five minutes to go in the contest. Sterling had actually just recaptured the lead 51-49 and Spire forward Reggie Davis was fouled going up for a lay up.
He made the shot, but missed the corresponding free throw, yet JEB Greenberg snatched the rebound. Following that, the Spires would miss the next two field goals before retrieving the offensive board after both.
Finally, after holding possession for nearly two minutes, Davis skied for a rebound and was fouled on the put back. The clock stood at 2:32 and USM held its biggest lead in nearly four minutes, 58-54.
From that point forward, Saint Mary kept Sterling at bay. And though the visitors cut the advantage to three with 38 seconds to go, big free throws from Kevin Harvey and Jordan Wilcox iced the 63-58 victory.
“That span allowed us to burn some clock and they got into some foul trouble,” Bishop said. “Then Reggie Davis just came up with two huge finishes that kind of gave us the win.”
The game got off to a slow start for the Spires offensively and Sterling captured a quick 4-0 advantage. After three minutes, USM finally hit its first offensive shot and the flood gates opened from there.
Saint Mary went on a 13-0 run, capped off by a Harvey 3-pointer, to build up a 13-4 lead advantage five minutes into the contest.
However, back charged the Warriors and with a 17-6 run of their own, the visitors retook a 21-19 lead with 7:27 remaining in the half. From that point the teams traded shots to finish the half, Sterling making a final lay up at the buzzer to make it 32-31.
“I didn’t think the game started out very well but I thought we responded really well,” the USM coach said. “Then after that it was just two really good teams fighting it out that I think, at the end of the conference schedule, will be up there at the top.”
In what became a battle of wills, the University of Saint Mary mens’ basketball team found itself in a physical and intense conference opener Thursday night.
Hosting its Kansas Athletic Collegiate Conference counterpart Sterling College, the Spires needed every ounce of energy and strength it had to top the visitors. But thanks to a hard-fought offensive stretch late in the ball game, USM pulled out a 63-58 victory.
“Both teams just battled tonight and it was a physical game out there,” USM head coach Jon Bishop said. “What the difference in the game was that three minute stretch where we had about three offensive rebounds and it just broke their back.”
The decisive span came with about five minutes to go in the contest. Sterling had actually just recaptured the lead 51-49 and Spire forward Reggie Davis was fouled going up for a lay up.
He made the shot, but missed the corresponding free throw, yet JEB Greenberg snatched the rebound. Following that, the Spires would miss the next two field goals before retrieving the offensive board after both.
Finally, after holding possession for nearly two minutes, Davis skied for a rebound and was fouled on the put back. The clock stood at 2:32 and USM held its biggest lead in nearly four minutes, 58-54.
From that point forward, Saint Mary kept Sterling at bay. And though the visitors cut the advantage to three with 38 seconds to go, big free throws from Kevin Harvey and Jordan Wilcox iced the 63-58 victory.
“That span allowed us to burn some clock and they got into some foul trouble,” Bishop said. “Then Reggie Davis just came up with two huge finishes that kind of gave us the win.”
The game got off to a slow start for the Spires offensively and Sterling captured a quick 4-0 advantage. After three minutes, USM finally hit its first offensive shot and the flood gates opened from there.
Saint Mary went on a 13-0 run, capped off by a Harvey 3-pointer, to build up a 13-4 lead advantage five minutes into the contest.
However, back charged the Warriors and with a 17-6 run of their own, the visitors retook a 21-19 lead with 7:27 remaining in the half. From that point the teams traded shots to finish the half, Sterling making a final lay up at the buzzer to make it 32-31.
“I didn’t think the game started out very well but I thought we responded really well,” the USM coach said. “Then after that it was just two really good teams fighting it out that I think, at the end of the conference schedule, will be up there at the top.”
To begin the second half, USM went on a quick scoring streak to make it 38-32. It wouldn’t last however and the visitors clawed back into the game.
At 9:01, the Spires led by just one point 46-45.
Sterling then regained the lead for the first time since the opening period at the 5:31 mark, jumping ahead 51-49. That was followed however, by the dominating string of offensive plays from USM, which ultimately decided the game.
“That was the key to the game,” Bishop said. “We kept kind of expecting in the second half to go on that little five, six, seven or eight point run... That stretch won us the game.”
Wilcox and Davis led the team with 10 points each, while Harvey and Quinten White both added nine a piece. Davis was the team leader in rebounds with nine and Brandon Dougherty passed out a team high four assists.
The Spires will look to improve its 8-1 record this Saturday when it hosts Friends for a 7 p.m. contest.
