STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A suffocating press and tenacious defense allowed the Hilltoppers to make a run late in the third quarter as they defeated Tarleton 70-64.
 
TSU went on a 5-0 run to close the first quarter and led 12-7 at the end of the first. Tarleton went up by eight, 19-11, three minutes into the second before SEU started to chip away at the lead.
 
DEIJAH BLANKS hit a layup with just under five minutes to play to pull the Hilltoppers within one, 21-20, but SEU was unable to take the lead and trailed 30-26 at the break.
 
Tarleton started the second half on a run and led by 11, 38-27 with 7:11 remaining in the third. CHARLI BECKER hit a layup to kick off a 10-0 Hilltopper run to pull St. Edward's within one, 38-37. The Texans responded with a brief run to go up by six again before SEU applied the press that proved to be the difference maker.
 
As the game rolled into the fourth SEU hung onto a two-point lead, 48-46. St. Edward's continued to control the game as St. Edward's led by as many as 12. The Texans made a run at the end but the Hilltoppers had built up too much of a lead and were able to secure the win.
 
Blanks led with 21 points and seven rebounds in the win, shooting 9-18 from the floor and 2-3 from three-point range. As a team, SEU shot 52% from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range. Haley Blankenship added in 13 points and Becker 10.
 
St. Edward's improves to 16-10 on the season and 12-9 in Lone Star Conference play. They close the regular season on Saturday, February 29 at St. Mary's.