KINGSVILLE, Texas – St. Edward's men's basketball could not hold a late lead Saturday evening as the Hilltoppers fell to Texas A&M-Kingsville 74-71 at Hampton Inn Court.
St. Edward's (8-5) held the Javelinas to 40 percent shooting, but 17 turnovers did the Hilltoppers in.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- In the first nine minutes of action, both teams traded baskets. Neither team was able to take more than a three-point lead.
- With the score tied 13-13, freshman LUCAS DORIA came off the bench and scored back-to-back buckets to give St. Edward's a 17-13 lead.
- Texas A&M-Kingsville finally found its shooting touch as it took a 40-33 halftime lead.
- With 17:19 remaining in the second half, the Javelinas extended their lead to 11 points.
- Over the next nine minutes, the Hilltoppers started to heat up offensively. Senior RAMIR BURTON registered seven points and fellow senior ETHAN GILBERT added six points to lead St. Edward's on a 25-8 run. That gave the visitors a 61-55 lead with just over eight minutes left.
- The lead changed hands twice down the stretch as both teams hit big shots.
- With 1:30 left, the game was tied at 69 apiece. TAMU-Kingsville hit a jumper and made 3-of-4 free throws to seal the game.
HILLTOPPER NOTES
- Burton (21) led the Hilltoppers in scoring for a fourth time this season.
- Taylor notched double-digit points for a fourth-straight contest with 17.
- The Javelinas outrebounded the Hilltoppers, 43-30.
- The Javelinas increase their lead in the series history to 42-30. They have now won two straight.
QUOTE BOARD: HEAD COACH ANDRE COOK
"This was a tough loss. We have to figure out how to win close games. We played well enough to win, we just didn't make the plays. We need to figure it out before conference play starts next week."
UP NEXT
St. Edward's stays on the road for a Thursday matchup with NCAA Division I opponent Rice. Tipoff is set for 11:45 a.m. at Tudor Field House. Live video and stats will be available at
www.GoHilltoppers.com.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Texas A&M-Kingsville 74, St. Edward's 71
Records: St. Edward's (8-5), Texas A&M-Kingsville (6-2)
Leading Scorers: St. Edward's-
RAMIR BURTON (21), Texas A&M-Kingsville-Marcus Frazier (17)
Attendance: 250
For the latest updates on the St. Edward's men's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @SEUMBasketball.
