TYLER, Texas – The St. Edward's men's basketball team made multiple scoring runs but could not get over the hump in a 75-71 loss to the University of Texas-Tyler Patriots for the Hilltoppers' first losing streak of the season.
JEFF GARY returned from a two-game absence and led five Hilltoppers in double figures with 19 points but missed a stepback 3-pointer with less than a minute remaining that would've tied the game for the first time since the score was even at six roughly three minutes into the game.
The shot represented much of the Hilltoppers' evening after putting themselves in an early 16-point deficit. St. Edward's expended great effort to pull within a possession or two several times, only to have that final shot at bridging the gap fall short.
Answering nearly every St. Edward's run was Patriots' leading scorer Rashun Williams, who was electric with 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting while getting to the free-throw line 13 times and sinking 11.
UT-Tyler broke the game open with a 21-8 run over roughly seven minutes of play in the first half, giving the Patriots a 16-point lead on a Hasaan Herrington 3-pointer with 6:48 remaining in the first half at 34-18. The Patriots shot a blistering 9-for-12 over that stretch, including 3-for-4 from beyond the 3-point line. Jordan Hairston led the charge with eight of his 13 first-half points during the run.
St. Edward's responded with an explosive 11-0 run of its own, hitting three shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, and three free throws. The Hilltoppers punctuated the run with a big defensive play by SEAN ELKINTON, stopping Milan Szabo at the rim, followed by the freshman center hitting a 3-pointer on a feed from GAVINO RAMOS to cut the Hilltoppers' deficit to 34-29.
Williams responded with a jumper off a feed from Jordan Love to spark a 10-3 Patriot run to close the half with a 44-32 lead. Williams and Hairston scored five each over the final three minutes, combining for 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting in the first half.
Gary led the Hilltoppers with 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting while hitting all five free-throw attempts before the break. Elkinton added seven points, three rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
UCHE DIBIAMAKA found his rhythm after a quiet first half, breaking free for 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting in the second half. Dibiamaka pulled the Hilltoppers within four on a 3-pointer off a feed from Ramos to cut the deficit to 49-45 with 15:28 remaining. UT-Tyler followed with its own 5-0 run, scoring on an and-one 3-point play and a pair of free throws.
A few possessions later, MASON HIX cut the deficit to 62-58 on a layup assisted by Uzo Dibiamaka with 8:33 remaining. Williams answered with a layup to put UT-Tyler back up six, and both teams went ice cold. Both teams went scoreless for nearly two minutes and without a made field goal for roughly five-and-a-half minutes until BLAKE NIELSEN hit a 3-pointer to pull St. Edward's within five with 2:19 remaining.
Gary followed with a steal and a pair of free throws to get St. Edward's within three, then Nielsen stole the ball and found UCHE DIBIAMAKA for a layup. Williams answered once again with a short jumper in the paint, followed by Gary's missed stepback 3-pointer and Hix's short jumper off the offensive rebound.
Dibiamka scored a putback of his own miss with six seconds remaining, but Williams iced the game with free throws.
St. Edward's falls to 11-5 with a 5-2 conference record, losing consecutive games for the first time this season. The Hilltoppers will remain on the road to play Dallas Baptist on Saturday.
