MEN’S BASKETBALL LOSES TO SAINT MARY IN CHIPPY AFFAIR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A high-scoring but tense game saw Avila drop to Saint Mary on Wednesday night, 92-80 at Mabee Fieldhouse.

The first half was a back-and-forth 20 minutes with Avila knocking down half of its field goal attempts – including six shots from deep. Senior guard George Williams III had a game-high 16 first-half points, including a buzzer-beating three pointer as the teams entered the locker room.

The second half saw five technical fouls, including two from Avila's Robert Lee III. Saint Mary also used a big offensive performance in the second half to pull away, taking a four-point halftime deficit and outscoring Avila 55-39 in the second half for the eventual 12-point win.

The Spires knocked down 24 shots from the charity stripe while both teams shot an identical 48.3 percent from the field for the game.

Seventeen Avila turnovers and 37 Saint Mary free throw attempts made the difference in the contest in a game that saw four ties and 17 lead changes.

Williams led the Eagles with 26 points for the game and the trio of Lee, Xavier Kahube and Brennan Jeffries chipped in with 11 points each.

The Eagles will close out 2024 by traveling to Tabor on Saturday for a 4 PM tipoff.

(photo credit: Amari Leath)