CLAREMORE, Okla. – St. Edward's University Men's Basketball (10-2, 3-1) recorded its first win of 2016, stealing a 90-85 victory over previously unbeaten Rogers State (11-1, 3-1) on Saturday.
The win was highlighted by 38 points from the Hilltoppers' bench with
ETHAN GILBERT scoring a team-high 15.
RAMIR BURTON matched Gilbert's output, going 4-for-4 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the charity stripe.
JOHN GRAMLICH (13),
AUBRIE KING (12), and
SEAN WATKINS (11) all scored in double digits as well.
TREY LINDSEY led St. Edward's on the boards with eight rebounds, and
FRANKIE MGBOLU handed out a game-high five assists.
"This was a great win. Rogers State was 11-0 and playing them is a lot like playing our mirror. They're well coached, tough, and execute their stuff well" said head coach Andre Cook. "I'm proud of our guys after a tough loss on Thursday. Our bench was fantastic. They provided great support and it was a great team win."
The name of the game was three-point shooting from the opening tip as
JOHN GRAMLICH showed his range and eliminated the Hillcats early two-point lead. After the home teamed clawed back into the lead, a scoring drought set in as neither squad scored for nearly three minutes of play. Burton broke the lull with back-to-back layups, giving the Hilltoppers a one-point advantage.
The lead continued to change hands, but with six minutes to play Watkins and King both dropped slapped the string from behind the arc to push St. Edward's lead to six. A pair of late three pointers from Lindsey and Gramlich helped the visitors to a 41-33 halftime lead.
In the second half, Rogers State proved determined to defend the top spot in the Heartland Conference, and its no. 17 ranking in the media poll. The Hillcats quickly cut St. Edward's lead to two, sinking three of their first four shots to open the period. The Hilltoppers held their lead with free throws from Gramlich and Lindsey, and then extended it with another three pointer; this time from
QUINTON LILLEY.
With 13:20 to play in the game, coach Cook's team found itself trailing for the first time in the second half. However, it did not last long. Gilbert used two charity shots to spark a 7-1 run, and capped the scoring streak with a shot from downtown. The Hillcats stayed close, but did not have enough steam to overtake the sharpshooting Hilltoppers.
St. Edward's finished the game with 15 baskets from behind the arc and 28 more points than Rogers State off the bench. The visiting Hilltoppers also converted an 8-3 advantage in steals into 19 points off of turnovers.
Coach Cook and his team look to defend their spot in the conference standings next Thursday as they travel to Odessa, Texas for a contest against UT-Permian Basin. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with live stats and video available at GoHilltoppers.com. Fans can also follow the team on Twitter at @SEUMBasketball.
Social media updates for all of Hilltopper Athletics can be found by searching TopperPride on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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| Heartland Conference Standings | | |
| Team | HC | Overall |
| St. Edward's | 3-1 | 10-2 |
| Rogers State* | 3-1 | 11-1 |
| UA Fort Smith | 3-1 | 10-2 |
| TAMU-International | 3-1 | 8-4 |
| Lubbock Christian | 2-1 | 8-3 |
| Newman | 2-2 | 9-3 |
| Dallas Baptist | 1-2 | 7-4 |
| UT-Permian Basin | 1-2 | 6-5 |
| Oklahoma Christian | 1-2 | 4-7 |
| St. Mary's | 1-3 | 5-7 |
| Panhandle State | 0-4 | 6-5 |
| * Not eligble for postseason play | | |
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| Saturday, Jan. 2 | | |
| St. Edward's def. Rogers State, 90-85 | | |
| Dallas Baptist def. Panhandle State 105-78 | | |
| UA Fort Smith def. UT-Permian Basin, 93-67 | | |
| Oklahoma Christian def. St. Mary's 70-63 | | |
| Newman def. TAMU-International 78-76 | |
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| Monday, Jan. 4 | | |
| Lubbock Christian at Dallas Baptist, 7 PM | | |
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| Thursday, Jan. 7 | | |
| St. Edward's at UT-Permian Basin, 7:30 PM | | |
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UA Fort Smith at St. Mary's, 7:30 PM
Newman at Lubbock Christian, 8 PM
Oklahoma Christian at Panhandle State, 7:30 PM
Rogers State at TAMU-International, 7:30 PM | |
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