SAN ANTONIO – St. Edward's women's basketball was in a one-possession game with 2:33 remaining against NCAA Division I University of the Incarnate Word, but couldn't close the game out in a 57-49 exhibition loss. 
 
JAYDA RUFFUS-MILNER led the Hilltoppers with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double before fouling out with 1:50 remaining. First-years JANIAH PERKINS and BAILEY FEATHERSTONE added 11 each, and LAUREN CATHERMAN scored nine points. 
 
St. Edward's opened strong, with Catherman and J.P. alternating buckets to open and Ruffus-Milner giving the Hilltoppers extra possessions with two offensive rebounds and two steals. Ruffus-Milner and Catherman scored five each on a combined 4-for-5 shooting, Perkins added four points, and CELISE BOBBITT scored a pair of free throws to give St. Edward's a 16-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. 
 
The Hilltoppers struggled from the field in the second quarter, shooting 2-for-15, and could not get to the free-throw line. Its defensive efforts kept St. Edward's within reach, limiting UIW to 4-for-17 shooting and forcing five turnovers to trail 23-20 at the half. 
 
Nina De Leon Negron led UIW with seven points and five rebounds at the break, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and a free throw. St. Edward's outscored UIW 9-5 in points off turnovers, 12-8 in points in the paint, 9-7 in second-chance points, and 6-2 in transition, but UIW outscored the Hilltoppers 12-3 from the 3-point line. 
 
BAILEY FEATHERSTONE opened the second half with consecutive buckets, draining a pull-up jumper on the Hilltoppers' first possession and scoring a fast-break layup off an AINSLEY THUNELL steal. UIW responded with a 9-0 run to take a 32-24 lead when Ruffus-Milner and Featherstone went to work. 
 
Ruffus-Milner scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in the third quarter, and Featherstone caught fire with 11 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, pulling St. Edward's to within one at 40-39 with a layup and free throw heading into the fourth. 
 
J.P. got into the paint repeatedly in the fourth quarter, earning multiple trips from the free-throw line. The freshman point guard tied the game on a floater off a feed from Ruffus-Milner with 6:30 remaining and led the Hilltoppers with seven points in the fourth quarter, shooting 5-for-10 from the free-throw line. 
 
Late in the game, Ruffus-Milner hit a turnaround jumper in the lane, and Catherman went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line to bring the Hilltoppers within three at 51-48 with 2:33 remaining. However, Ruffus-Milner picked up her fifth foul going after an offensive rebound on St. Edward's next possession, and UIW closed the game on a 6-0 run before J.P. hit a free throw on St. Edward's final possession. 
 
The game was an exhibition and will not count against St. Edward's record. The Hilltoppers will host Arlington Baptist on Monday at 11 a.m.