AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's University Men's Basketball used 21 points off of turnovers to upend the Trinity Tigers 75-59 on Tuesday night. The Hilltoppers move to 5-1 after four games in six days while the Tigers remain at 0-3 in what was an exhibition game for them.
A total of four Toppers scored in double digits as
FRANKIE MGBOLU led the way with 13 points. An outstanding effort from
TREY LINDSEY on the glass produced a team-high nine rebounds, complimented by eight points.
JOHN GRAMLICH topped the charts in assists with four as the Hilltoppers combined for 16 as a team on 27 field goals. Advantages for St. Edward's in turnovers (12-19), steals (6-2) and shooting percentage (41%-35%) made the difference in the game.
"My initial thought is that it's not the team's fault, it's mine. A total of four games in five days, and getting home from Corpus Christi at 2 a.m. was too much," said head coach Andre Cook. "However, I can't take anything away from Trinity. They are one of the class acts in central Texas with a lot of talent, and they competed well. My guys did what they had to do and we all worked together to bail each other out in the second half. We ground out possessions and, again, did what we had to do to end this tough stretch."
St. Edward's opened the game with four points off of Trinity miscues as Mgbolu layed in back-to-back fast-break layups, giving the team a 4-0 lead. However, the Tigers surged back like a team with nothing to lose and scratched out a two-point lead, 16-14. The visitors extended their lead all the way to 21-16 before buckets from Gramlich and Lindsey pulled the Hilltoppers within one.
Lindsey added a pair of free throws to tie the game at 22 with 5:09 left to play; but Trinity would not go away, retaking the lead again and extending it to 30-25. It took Mgbolu making four-straight free throws down the stretch to give St. Edward's a 36-34 halftime advantage.
Coach Cook's team opened the second period with a scoring barrage that resulted in a 12-point lead for the Hilltoppers. The deficit would prove to be insurmountable for the Tigers.
A scuffle in the final minutes would result in a flagrant foul on St. Edward's and a technical foul on Trinity. However, the incident provided no momentum to either team as the Toppers clinched their second double-digit victory this season.
Action continues for Cook's squad the day after thanksgiving as they host St. Xavier at 7 p.m. on Friday in the Recreation and Convocation Center. Live stats and video for the game can be found at GoHilltoppers.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media by searching St. Edward's University Men's Basketball.
