Box Score AUSTIN, Texas – The St. Edward's women's basketball team improved to 7-0 on the season with a win against cross-town rival Huston-Tillotson, 99-81 on Tuesday evening at the Recreation and Convocation Center. MADDIE WHEELER led the Hilltoppers with 19 points while ERIKA ROUSCULP had her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
 
"Tonight was not our best, most focused and disciplined effort, but we ended the game with a win," Hilltopper head coach J.J. Riehl said. "We shot and moved the ball well. We played together tonight and that was the key."
 
St. Edward's jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the first four and a half minutes of play. Wheeler and Rousculp provided all the buckets for the Hilltoppers. St. Edward's pushed its lead to nine points with 12 minutes remaining with layups by VALENCIA WHITE and Rousculp.
 
At the halfway point of the first half, St. Edward's led 25-15. White scored a baseline jumper to increase the lead to double digits. Both teams exchanged baskets for the several minutes until the Lady Rams went on a quick 6-0 run to cut the lead to four, 40-36 with just three minutes remaining.
 
For the remainder of the first half, Huston-Tillotson went on a 9-4 run behind the shooting of Janequa Moore. Moore accounted for 18 first half points for the Lady Rams. The Hilltoppers went into the break leading by a narrow margin of 46-45.
 
The Hilltoppers came out of the locker room on fire with a 22-3 run over the course of seven minutes. The once one-point lead turned into a 20-point game in a matter of minutes. MILEKA LOYDRAKE started the run with a quick basket from downtown. Kat Brisbane and Wheeler followed with two quick layups. Brisbane, Rousculp, and Wheeler would all score again at some point during the run.
 
The Lady Rams responded with an 8-0 run of their own, cutting the lead to 12 with 12 minutes remaining. St. Edward's had another run, led by White and HALEY MEEKINS. They would combine for all seven points during the 7-0 run pushing the lead to 19 with just under eight minutes to play.
 
Brisbane gave the Hilltoppers their biggest lead of night when she knocked down two shots from the charity strip. St. Edward's led 86-64 with four minutes remaining. For the remaining four minutes, neither team gained serious momentum and St. Edward's coasted to the 99-81 victory.
 
Wheeler was 8-for-14 from the field for her 19 points as she was one of six Hilltoppers in double figures. Loydrake tallied 17 points, while Brisbane, Meekins and White all had 12 points. STEPHANIE DEKKERS led the Hilltopper offense with 10 assists as the team dished out a season-high 22 helpers.
 
"Stephanie controlled the game extremely well tonight," Riehl said. "Anytime you dish out 10 assists, it's a special performance. Having six players in double figures simply highlights the assists. Sharing the ball gave us a very balanced effort offensively."
 
The Hilltoppers will be back in action Friday as they travel to take on Fort Lewis at 6:30 p.m. CST. This is the first road game of the season for the Hilltoppers. Live video and stats will be available through the Skyhawk athletic website.
 
"We have a big game on the road versus Fort Lewis on Friday," Riehl said. "It is going to be a good test of where we are as a team as we travel for the first time and have to deal with the adversity of being on the road. We are looking forward to the challenge."