AUSTIN, Texas – A furious comeback attempt came up short Thursday as St. Edward's men's basketball fell to UA Fort Smith, 96-90 at the Recreation and Convocation Center.
 
St. Edward's (16-12, 8-7 Heartland) drops to sixth place in the Heartland Conference. UA Fort Smith (18-10, 11-5 Heartland) stays in second place, just one game behind conference leader Rogers State.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams took turns with the advantage in the first half with seven lead changes.
• Senior ETHAN GILBERT had the hot hand early, scoring 14 points in the first half.
• Gilbert's 3-pointer at the 1:31 mark gave St. Edward's a 40-39 lead.
• UA Fort Smith answered by scoring the final six points of the half to hold a 45-40 advantage at halftime.
• The Hilltoppers started the second half on an 8-0 run to grab back the lead, 48-45.
• The Lions rebounded from their slow start, capturing the lead and holding it for the rest of the game.
• Trailing by 10 points with 1:57 to play, St. Edward's started a furious comeback attempt.
• The Hilltoppers forced UA Fort Smith into three turnovers to help trim the Lion lead to 90-88 with 55 seconds remaining.
• The final steal of the stanza gave the Hilltoppers a shot at a tie, but their attempt came up short.
• UA Fort Smith made its free throws in the final seconds to preserve the victory.

 
HILLTOPPER NOTES

• Senior RAMIR BURTON led five Hilltoppers in double figures with 17 points. Burton finished 10-of-14 from the free throw line.
• Gilbert and junior SEAN WATKINS both added 16 points.
• The Lion bench outscored the Hilltopper bench, 48-22, as UA Fort Smith also placed five players in double-figure scoring.
• St. Edward's trails the all-time series with the Lions, 11-6.

 
QUOTE BOARD: HEAD COACH ANDRE COOK
"We made some great plays down the stretch to have a chance at a lead, but didn't make a great choice when given the opportunity. Our guys fought hard, but foul trouble hurt us. We are not the same team when we are unable to do things we want to do. They are a great team and they made things tough for us. It doesn't get any easier on Saturday with Rogers State coming here."
 
UP NEXT
St. Edward's hosts Rogers State Saturday at 3 p.m. for Homecoming in the Recreation and Convocation Center. Live stats and video will be available at GoHilltoppers.com.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: UA Fort Smith 96, St. Edward's 90
Records: St. Edward's (16-12, 8-7 Heartland), UA Fort Smith (18-10, 11-5 Heartland)
Leading Scorers: St. Edward's-Burton (17), UA Fort Smith-Elder (23)
Attendance: 428
 
HEARTLAND CONFERENCE STANDINGS
Team                           Conference                Overall
Rogers State                       12-4                       19-7
UA Fort Smith                      11-5                       18-10
TAMU-International             10-5                       17-9
Dallas Baptist                      10-5                       16-9
Lubbock Christian                9-6                         15-10
St. Edward's                        8-7                         16-12
St. Mary's                             7-8                         10-15
Newman                               6-9                         8-16
Oklahoma Christian            3-12                       8-15
Panhandle State                  0-15                       5-19

For the latest updates on the St. Edward's men's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @SEUMBasketball.