TULSA, Okla. – St. Edward's Men's Basketball Head Coach, Andre Cook, came into the Heartland Conference Tournament with 99 wins in his St. Edward's career, and the Hilltoppers delivered No. 100 in upset fashion over Texas A&M-International, taking down the Dustdevils, 84-69, Friday evening at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center.
 
Friday's milestone victory came, in part, by way of hot shooting from JOHN GRAMLICH. The junior went 4-for-5 from behind the three-point line, and finished the game with 16 points and five rebounds. RAMIR BURTON also turned in a double-digit night. The Hilltoppers' leading scorer cashed in 13 points, going 2-for-2 from deep.
 
CORY MCKENDREE was perfect from the field on 6-for-6 shooting, with 12 points. The freshman's flawless shooting performance ranks as a tie for eighth in program history. ETHAN GILBERT turned in 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
 
The victory is St. Edward's 18^th of the season. Texas A&M-International was the fourth seed, and finishes the season 18-11 overall.
 
"Obviously the win to advance is more important, and I'll be able to reflect on 100 after the season. However, if there was any group to get 100 wins with, I am glad it was these guys," said Cook. "I'm really proud of our effort today. TAMIU is so big, physical, and strong. It's a challenge. They bring waves of post guys at you. Our guys followed the game plan to a "T", and did a fantastic job."
 
Gramlich opened the game by going 3-for-3 in the first eight minutes, and did not miss his first three until 1:40 remained in the first half. However, the Dustdevils proved they belonged in the tournament, and fired right back. A back-and-forth battle resulted in seven ties in the first half, and at the break St. Edward's held a 37-33 advantage.
 
The difference in the game came in the second half. Following the 12-minute media timeout, the Hilltoppers fired off a 14-2 run that doomed the Dustdevils to defeat. Gramlich, QUINTON LILLEY, McKendree, and SEAN WATKINS all contributed to the streak that ultimately broke the opposition.
 
St. Edward's finished the game with a shooting percentage of 52 percent from the field, and the same from three. They also outscored TAMU-International off the bench, 29-17.
 
Coach Cook and the Hilltoppers' quest for a tournament title continues on Saturday against Arkansas Fort Smith. St. Edward's takes on the top-seeded Lions at 5 p.m. in the Union Multipurpose Activity Center. Links for live stats and video for the semifinal matchup can be found at GoHilltoppers.com.