AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's could not recover from a rough first half as it fell to Lubbock Christian, 81-73, Thursday evening in Heartland Conference play at the Recreation and Convocation Center.
ETHAN GILBERT led the Hilltoppers with 18 points, while
QUINTON LILLEY added 15 points, four rebounds and two steals off of the bench.
TREY LINDSEY joined them in double-figures with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
JOHN GRAMLICH chipped in with 11 points and a game-high five assists.
St. Edward's (16-9, 9-8 HC) hit 10 shots from the three-point line, but it was Lubbock Christian (18-7, 12-5 HC) who was firing on all cylinders, shooting 59 percent from the field.
The game started with each team shooting great from the field. After the first seven minutes of action, St. Edward's held a slim 15-14 lead. Gilbert had the hot hand early with eight points. The junior forward made two shots from behind the arc during the stretch, but was forced to leave the game with two early fouls.
Lubbock Christian used that to its advantage and went on a 15-0 run over the next five minutes. Ridrell Holman sparked the rally with two makes from downtown on his way to 14 first-half points.
The Chaps led by as many as 19 points down the stretch and took a 42-24 advantage into the break. The visitors shot a blistering 63 percent from the floor in the first frame.
In the second half, the Hilltoppers raced to an 8-2 run in the first two minutes of play.
SEAN WATKINS was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws. A jumper by Gilbert, along with a steal and three-point play from Lindsey cut the lead to 43-32. The lead would stay in double digits for the first half of the final period.
Two free throws by Lilley at the 9:21 mark dipped the Lubbock Christian lead to nine points. With 7:45 remaining, the Chaps had their advantage back up to 13 points, 62-49, but St. Edward's found new life. Gilbert and Lindsey both hit treys, while Gramlich had a three-point play as the home team cut the lead to four points, 64-60, with 5:09 remaining.
Lubbock Christian kept its lead for the next four minutes, but St. Edward's again cut it to four points, after a three-pointer from Gilbert with one minute left. The Hilltoppers stole the inbounds pass but Gramlich missed a three pointer and St. Edward's was forced to foul. Lubbock Christian made its free throws down the stretch.
"That was not a very good first half by us," head coach Andre Cook said. "We got what we deserved. We are not built for a big comeback."
The Hilltoppers will be back in action Saturday when they host Oklahoma Panhandle State. The game will be held in conjunction with Homecoming. It will also be Senior Day on the hilltop, plus six new inductees will join the SEU Athletics Hall of Fame during halftime of the game. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Recreation and Convocation Center. Live video and stats will be available on the Hilltopper Athletic Website.
| Heartland Conference Standings | | |
| Team | HC | OVERALL |
| Dallas Baptist | 13-3 | 19-5 |
| Rogers State* | 12-5 | 20-5 |
| UA Fort Smith | 12-5 | 19-6 |
| Lubbock Christian | 12-5 | 18-7 |
| TAMU-International | 11-6 | 16-9 |
| St. Edward's | 9-8 | 16-9 |
| UT-Permian Basin | 8-9 | 13-12 |
| Newman | 7-10 | 14-11 |
| St. Mary's | 5-12 | 9-16 |
| Oklahoma Christian | 3-14 | 6-19 |
| Panhandle State | 1-16 | 8-17 |
| *-Not Eligible for Postseason Play | | |
| | |
| Thursday, February 18 | | |
| Lubbock Christian def. St. Edward's, 81-73 | | |
| UA Fort Smith def. Newman, 86-80 | | |
| UT-Permian Basin def. Panhandle State, 92-72 | | |
| TAMU-International def. St. Mary's, 72-62 | | |
| Rogers State def. Oklahoma Christian, 84-74 | |
| | |
| Saturday, February 20 | |
| Panhandle State at St. Edward's | 3:00 PM |
| Dallas Baptist at TAMU-International | 2:00 PM |
| Oklahoma Christian at UA Fort Smith | 3:00 PM |
| Newman at Rogers State | 3:00 PM |
| Lubbock Christian at UT-Permian Basin | 3:00 PM |
