WICHITA, Kan. – Four Hilltoppers scored in double digits Saturday as St. Edward's women's basketball defeated regionally ranked Newman 66-48.
 
SHAKERA BARNES led all scorers with 17 points. LEXI CUNNINGHAM added 12 points while LEXI FATHEREE and KHIANI CLARK added 10 apiece. Clark and Barnes each dished out four assists, and Clark tied the game high for rebounds with seven.
 
St. Edward's is now 1-0 in the Heartland Conference and 5-5 overall. Newman falls to 0-1 in the league and 10-3 overall. The Jets entered the game ranked fifth in the South Central region by the NCAA Division II Media Poll.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Four of five starters contributed to an early 15-0 run in the first quarter to put SEU ahead 15-2.
• MADISON SCHENCK drained a 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining to make it 21-8 at the end of the first quarter.
• Newman started the second period on a 9-0 run.
• Cunningham staved off the comeback with back-to-back 3-pointers.
• A Jet layup as time expired made the halftime score 33-24 in favor of the Hilltoppers.
• The third quarter was all St. Edward's as the Hilltoppers outscored Newman 20-8.
• Another four points from Cunningham in the fourth quarter helped seal the victory.

 
HILLTOPPER NOTES

• Saturday's win evens the all-time series between St. Edward's and Newman at 9-9.
• Head Coach J.J. Riehl is 5-0 in Heartland Conference openers.
• St. Edward's has won four straight and five of its last six contests.
• The Hilltoppers' defense held Newman to 0-for-12 shooting from three, and 32 percent from the field.
• Newman's 48 points are the least scored on St. Edward's this season.
• Barnes continues to lead the team in scoring and assists averaging 13.9 points per game and 5.6 assists.

 
QUOTE BOARD: HEAD COACH J.J. RIEHL
"We were just really locked in with the game plan. We knew what we needed to defend and the kids really did a great job executing. We were able to get the stops we needed and continue the momentum of the last couple weeks."
 
UP NEXT
St. Edward's continues Heartland Conference play on the road Monday at 1 p.m. against Panhandle State. Live stats and video will be available at GoHilltoppers.com.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: St. Edward's 66, Newman 48
Records: St. Edward's (5-5, 1-0 HC), Newman (10-3, 0-1 HC)
Leading Scorers: St. Edward's-Barnes (17), Newman-DeGrate (13)
Attendance: 127
 
For the latest information on the St. Edward's University Women's Basketball team, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @SEUWBasketball, or visit us at www.GoHilltoppers.com.