FISHERS, Indiana — SPIRE Academy used a dominant third quarter and stifling defense to dispatch Archbishop Stepinac 87-76 in Wednesday’s opening-round action at the 2026 Chipotle Nationals, advancing to the quarterfinals and handing the New York program its first loss after a late-season surge.
The game was tight early, with SPIRE holding a 38-33 edge at halftime after an alley-oop slam and a sequence of baskets that kept the Ohioans in control. But SPIRE broke the game open in the third quarter, unleashing an extended stretch that included an 18-5 run and, at one point, a 24-5 burst that turned a competitive contest into a rout. The quarter closed with SPIRE leading 65-43 and the margin never seriously threatened thereafter; the final score read 87-76.
A key factor in SPIRE’s victory was its work on the interior, where the Crusaders’ high-profile Ratliff twins — Darius and Adonis — were held a combined 0-for-12 from the field. The twins, who had suited up for the McDonald’s All-American Game late Tuesday in Glendale, Arizona, returned by charter flight to Indiana but were unable to make an impact on offense in this matchup. Their cold shooting and SPIRE’s physical defense helped blunt Stepinac’s usual scoring avenues.
SPIRE’s win improves the Ohio boarding school’s record to 29-4 for the season, while Archbishop Stepinac closes out at 25-5. The victory sets up a marquee quarterfinal meeting with top-seeded AZ Compass Prep, the nation’s No. 2 team, a matchup that has extra intrigue after SPIRE’s 72-50 triumph over AZ Compass on Jan. 2. That earlier result gives the Ohioans a measure of confidence heading into the second-round rematch.
SPIRE’s backcourt and frontcourt contributions combined to keep Stepinac at bay through the second half, and the game’s play-by-play showed SPIRE steadily pulling away in the third and holding comfortable leads of 78-58 and 81-69 in the fourth before closing out the game. King Gibson was one of the sequence players noted in the first half, drawing a foul on a basket in the second quarter as SPIRE maintained tempo and control.
The Chipotle Nationals continued its opening-day slate earlier when No. 10 seed Link Academy knocked off No. 7 Wasatch Academy 69-62, setting Link up to face No. 2 seed Dynamic Prep in the quarterfinals. All Chipotle Nationals games are being streamed on the League Ready YouTube channel, with SPIRE’s quarterfinal matchup slated for Thursday.
SPIRE’s defensive showing in Fishers — particularly its ability to neutralize Stepinac’s marquee twins — provided a statement win on a national stage and positions the program as a live underdog in next-round play against a top-ranked AZ Compass side.