Box Score LAREDO, Texas – KATHLEEN BRISBANE led all scorers with 24 points, but it wasn't enough as St. Edward's comes up short against Texas A&M–International, 76-70 on Saturday afternoon at the Kinesiology and Convocation Building. The Hilltoppers fall to 10-3 overall and 5-2 in the Heartland Conference.
"I thought we really responded and bounced back after Thursday's loss," said head coach
J.J. Riehl. "It was a really good game that went back and forth, but we just didn't get the stops we needed down the stretch."
Riehl added, "Conference play this year is really tough and when you are on the road its even tougher. We have to just stay steady, remember who we are, and we will be fine."
St. Edward's started the game on a furious pace, jumping out to a 16-2 lead during the first five minutes of action.
MADDIE WHEELER scored the first bucket from downtown and Brisbane followed with eight-straight points.
ERIKA ROUSCULP connected on a layup and
STEPHANIE DEKKERS swished one from long range to complete the run.
Riehl was pleased with the performance of Brisbane, "I was really pleased with Kat's play. I can't say enough about the good things that she did offensively and defensively, but also her mentality towards the game. She such a tough kid and I'm happy that she was able to get going offensively and hopefully that carries over to the next game," concluded Riehl.
The Dustdevils went on a 9-0 run during a five-minute span and cut the lead to 16-11 with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half. Brisbane stopped the run with a mid-range jumper. Jessica Prieto rallied the Dustdevils to within two points, 20-18, but
MILEKA LOYDRAKE sank her first two of 13 points of the game to push the lead back to four points, 22-18.
Riehl commented on the play of Loydrake, "Mel was just solid. She was relaxed and seemed comfortable for the first time all year. It resulted in a good shooting game, but also her best floor game of the year."
Texas A&M International went on a 5-0 run and was down, 24-23 with just under three minutes to play. Loydrake scored four more points to help extend the lead, but a 4-0 run by the Dustdevils helped them gain their first advantage heading into the break, 29-28.
The Hilltoppers remained in the game because of their ability to get to the basket and convert from the charity stripe. Loydrake, Brisbane, and Rousculp all made free throws early in the second half keeping the game close. Loydrake connected from downtown and Dekkers made a layup to tie the game at 40 with 14 minutes to play.
Dekkers made another big shot after Texas A&M–International scored four straight points. Brisbane gave the Hilltoppers their first lead of the second half with two foul shots, 47-46.
HALEY MEEKINS pushed the lead to three points at the halfway mark of the second half with a long-range jumper. St. Edward's led 51-48.
Both teams traded buckets until
CASEY RILEY and Brisbane scored four consecutive points pushing the lead to 57-53 with 7:37 remaining. The Dustdevils came right back and took a three-point lead on a 7-0 run that lasted two minutes.
St. Edward's responded with a basket after Texas A&M–International took the five point lead cutting the deficit to three, but another 5-0 run by the Dustdevils gave them the eight point advantage with three minutes remaining.
The Hilltoppers answered with a 5-0 run with a layup by Wheeler and a trey from Dekkers. St. Edward's trailed 69-66 with two minutes to go. From that point on, the Hilltoppers couldn't find the basket and the Dustdevils would come away with the victory 76-70.
Riehl closed her statement, "There were many more positives than there were negatives when looking at the big picture. We are a young team in terms of handling success and being on top, but we will figure it out."
The Hilltoppers will be back in action on Thursday as they return home to take on conference newcomer Lubbock Christian. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Recreation and Convocation Center on the St. Edward's campus. Live video and stats will be available through the Hilltopper athletic website.
