AUSTIN, Texas –
JOHN GRAMLICH registered 18 points and St. Edward's hit 11 three-pointers to rout St. Thomas Friday evening on the opening night of the 2014 St. Edward's Catholic College Classic at the Recreation and Convocation Center.
St. Edward's (6-0) opened the game on a 9-0 run in the first five minutes of action.
JOHN GRAMLICH made the first two buckets of the game and
RAMIR BURTON capped off the run with three-consecutive free throws.
St. Thomas (1-3) would come as close as five points on four occasions in the first half, with Josh Bearden and Sean Edwards keeping it close with eight and seven points, respectively.
With the Hilltoppers leading by only six points, 29-23, with 2:32 remaining in the first half, three-pointers by
AUBRIE KING and
TREY LINDSEY, along with a jumper by Gramlich, led St. Edward's to a 8-1 run to close out the half. They would go into the break with a 37-24 advantage.
The Hilltoppers owned the advantage on the glass with a 21-16 lead on the boards. St. Edward's also forced eight turnovers and rolled those into 10 points.
In the second half, St. Edward's came out firing from downtown. The Hilltoppers made four shots from behind the arc in the first six minutes, with Gramlich making three of those to lead the way. St. Edward's opened with a 21-8 run to bust out a 58-32 lead. That would put the game away as the Hilltoppers coasted down the stretch.
Gramlich finished 7-for-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. He also made his only free throw.
HARLEY NUSSMAN finished with his fourth double-double of the season, tallying 14 points and 11 rebounds. This was his second-straight double as he leads the Heartland Conference in rebounding at 10.2 boards per contest.
TREY LINDSEY chipped in with 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while Burton added 13 points and four assists.
FRANKIE MGBOLU also had four assists on the evening.
The 11 three-pointers made by the Hilltoppers were a season-high. They would shoot 52 percent from the floor and hold the Celts to a 35.4 percent shooting night from the field. That defensive effort was the best of the year for the home team.
St. Edward's will be back in action Saturday for day two of the 2014 Catholic College Classic. They will take on Our Lady of the Lake at 4 p.m. at the Recreation and Convocation Center. Live video and stats will be available on the Hilltopper Athletic Website. Our Lady of the Lake defeated St. Francis (Ill.), 90-81, in the other game in the tournament on Friday.
