TULSA, Okla. – St. Edward's Women's Basketball broke a four-game losing streak to Arkansas Fort Smith in upset fashion on Saturday. The Hilltoppers never trailed as they toppled the second-seeded Lady Lions, 78-63, in the Heartland Conference Tournament Semifinals.
 
The shooting of LEXI FATHEREE, KHIANI CLARK, and SHAKERA BARNES fueled the Hilltoppers' second-straight, upset victory. Fatheree scored 20 points, including 4-for-9 shooting from behind the arc. Clark was right behind with a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. She did not miss a shot until the fourth quarter. Barnes added 17 points, and distributed seven assists.
 
ABBY HOPPER and HALEY JOLY both had a big day on the boards. Hopper pulled down 10 rebounds, and scored 10 points for a double-double. Joly snagged seven rebounds as well.
 
The win is St. Edward's first over the Lady Lions since Jan. 1, 2015, as it improves to 12-16 on the season. UA Fort Smith ends its season at 21-9.
 
"This win feels unbelievable. I think the kids played unbelievably hard. We had energy and enthusiasm that was off the charts," said head coach J.J. Riehl. "They believed they were going to win, and in the end, I think that was the difference. We've preached "us" all year, and that's something we're really passionate about. That's our culture."
 
From the opening tip, St. Edward's showed that losing was not an option, as Fatheree put the Hilltoppers up first with a three pointer. UA Fort Smith responded with a three of its own, but Clark powered up a reverse layup to take back the lead, and Coach Riehl's team never looked back.
 
St. Edward's closed the first quarter with an 11-4 run, and went into halftime leading, 34-26.
 
In the third period, Fort Smith chipped away at the lead. With 2:20 left in the quarter, the Lady Lions made it 45-44 on a pair of free throws. However, the quarter was far from over.
 
With less than a minute remaining, Barnes dished the ball to Clark who scored a layup and drew the foul. After converting the free throw, Hopper drained a three pointer from the corner, and BAILEY HILL followed with another deep ball from the wing. Time expired with St. Edward's up 54-46.
 
In the final period, Fort Smith had no answer, and the Hilltoppers ran away to a double-digit win.
 
The win puts Coach Riehl and her team in a showdown with the No. 1 team in the country, Lubbock Christian. Sunday's finale is set to begin at 1 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN3. Fans can also find live stats at GoHilltoppers.com.