CLAREMORE, Okla. – ABBY HOPPER scored all 12 of her points in the second half, but St. Edward's could not hold on to the lead as it fell to Rogers State, 57-56, Saturday afternoon at the Claremore Expo Center.
 
Hopper led St. Edward's (3-9, 1-3 HC) scoring her 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, which included three makes from behind the arc. SHAKERA BARNES added 11 points and six assists, while HALEY JOLY just missed a double-double with nine points and a season-high 10 rebounds.
 
The Hilltoppers started the game with two buckets by KHIANI CLARK and a layup by ATEH ADE to take an early 6-2 advantage with 7:00 remaining in the first quarter. St. Edward's held the lead until the 4:10 mark of the opening period when Rogers State (8-2, 3-0 HC) took a 14-12 lead after a made three-pointer.
 
The Hilltoppers held close for the rest of the quarter thanks to LEXI FATHEREE's five points to end the half. It was the first game back for the junior guard after suffering an injury in the first exhibition game of the season.
 
Trailing 21-19 going into the second quarter, St. Edward's put the defensive clamps on the Hillcats. The home team went 0-for-15 from the field and the Hilltoppers forced them into four turnovers. A 12-0 scoring advantage put the visitors ahead, 32-21 at the break.
 
In the second half, Rogers State came out strong, scoring the first 10 points of the quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers by Hopper and two free throws from Fatheree countered the Hillcats and put St. Edward's ahead, 40-31, with 4:38 left in the third period. The lead grew to 10 points after a jumper by BAILEY HILL at the 2:03 mark, but Rogers State rallied down the stretch to end with a 9-0 run.
 
St. Edward's held a one-point advantage going into the fourth quarter. That lead would swell to seven points after another three-pointer from Hopper with 5:51 remaining.
 
Rogers State rallied yet again, using a 9-1 lead over the next four minutes to cut the lead to 56-55 with just over a minute to play. Fatheree's three-point try with 53 seconds was off the mark and the Hillcats hit a jumper with 22 seconds left to take a 57-56 lead.
 
St. Edward's would have two chances to hit a game-winner but Barnes' layup missed and Fatheree was whistled for a traveling violation to give the Hillcats the victory.
 
In a defensive battle, St. Edward's shot just 33.9 percent (19-56) from the field, while Rogers State countered with only 35.1 percent (20-57) shooting. Both teams made seven shots from behind the arc and the Hillcats outrebounded St. Edward's, 41-36.
 
St. Edward's will be back in action Thursday when they travel to take on UT-Permian Basin. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the Falcon Dome in Odessa, Texas. Live video and stats will be available on the Falcon Athletic Website.