AUSTIN – The St. Edward's women's basketball team put together its most efficient offensive performance of the early season and its first double-digit margin of victory in a 67-55 win over the Huston-Tillotson Rams.
St. Edward's executed its offense with precision and purpose in the first half. In the first quarter, the Hilltoppers moved the ball to the elbows and wings while setting a cascade of screens off-ball. St. Edward's guards and forwards read the field like a veteran pocket quarterback, going through reads and progressions until a cross-screen set up a layup or quick ball reversal into a baseline drive.
Jayda Ruffus-Milner was the biggest beneficiary early, cutting into the lane to score 10 first-half points on 4-for-6 shooting and a pair of made free throws.
Once Huston-Tillotson loaded up its defense against the off-ball actions, the Hilltoppers started exploiting the occupied defense off the dribble, probing with the drive and kick game for open 3-pointers. ISABEL LANGENBERG hit both her first-half attempts, and RONNIE CANTU made 1-of-2.
Defensively, the Hilltoppers sussed out Huston-Tillotson's multiple top-of-the-key handoff actions designed to get speedy point guard Illana Stanford the ball against a rotating defense, forcing a series of bad isolation possessions.
Mycah McDonald kept the Huston-Tillotson offense afloat in the first half, scoring 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including nine points in the second quarter on six shots. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the Hilltoppers scorching the nets.
St. Edward's shot 16-for-26 (61.5 percent) in the first half, including 3-for-4 from deep and assisting on 11 of their 16 made field goals. Cantu directed the offense with three assists, and Ruffus-Milner, LAUREN CATHERMAN, and MORGAN GARY each had two assists to give St. Edward's a 42-30 lead at the break.
The Hilltoppers' player movement slowed to a trickle in the third quarter, in which St. Edward's had more turnovers (five) than made field goals (four). Still, the Hilltoppers expanded on their lead thanks to a dominant defensive performance anchored by center SAMMIE DUFEK. The Rams tried to drive at Dufek repeatedly, with St. Edward's all-time leader in blocks rejecting four in the quarter and altering several others. On the other end, Catherman hit two key 3-pointers to keep St. Edward's lead at 16 going into the fourth.
Gary opened the fourth quarter with a corner 3-pointer to give St. Edward's its largest lead at 19. Still, the Hilltoppers struggled the rest of the way as Huston-Tillotson extended its defense, forcing 12 turnovers over the final 10 minutes.
Huston-Tillotson cut its deficit to single digits at 64-55 with 58 seconds remaining off a steal and McDonald's offensive rebound and putback on the fast break.
Langenberg drew a foul on the ensuing possession, making 1-of-2 free throws to put St. Edward's back up 10, then hit two more to put the game away.
Catherman led St. Edward's with 16 points on seven shots, hitting 2-of-3 from beyond the 3-point line. Ruffus-Milner played an excellent all-around game with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists. St. Edward's finished a season-high 48.9 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from deep on 13 3-point attempts.
The Hilltoppers improved to 2-2 and will travel to Hawaii next week to compete in the Malika Sports Thanksgiving Tournament with games against Hawaii at Hilo and Tampa on Thursday and Friday.
