AUSTIN, Texas – GAVINO RAMOS hit a game-winning 3-pointer with one second remaining to lift the St. Edward's Hilltoppers past the Dallas Baptist Patriots for a 66-63 win to sweep the regular-season series.
Ramos scored 18 points on nine shots after pouring in 17 against Texas-Tyler on Saturday. That game was an offensive clinic with all five starters in double figures on better than 50 percent shooting in the Hilltoppers' beautiful trademark ball movement offense.
Monday's win was a slog and the sort of character-building moment that comes when a team overcomes not playing at its best through sheer force of will.
The potent 3-point shooting that typically feeds St. Edward's well-oiled offensive machine was notably absent in the first half. Instead, the Hilltoppers shot 1-for-10 from deep and 12-for-31 overall, finishing the half with as many assists (six) as turnovers.
Dallas Baptist found reliable scoring sources in the bruising Cameron Kahn and point guard Ricky Lujan, who scored eight points each on a combined 7-for-9 shooting in the first half to lead Dallas Baptist to a 35-29 lead.
UCHE DIBIAMAKA scored the first five points of the second half and kept the Hilltopper offense afloat by operating a little outside of its normal flow, bullying his way into the paint, and then showing his craft with a flurry of spinning and fadeaway jumpers for 16 points on 7-for-16 shooting. In addition to carrying the offense for stretches, Dibiamaka was responsible for guarding Kahn. He did an admirable job, fighting in the post and drawing an offensive foul to get him in foul trouble.
St. Edward's dug in on the defensive end, limiting Dallas Baptist to 34.5 percent shooting in the half (10-for-29), including 2-for-13 from deep.
The Hilltoppers struggled to rack up assists, but the team got critical plays from Dibiamaka and Ramos. Ramos scored 15 points in the second half, shooting 5-for-6 from the field, 3-for-4 from deep, and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
The sophomore guard started his scoring binge with a layup at the 15-minute mark. Five minutes later, he hit a 3-pointer on a feed from BLAKE NIELSEN. Then, after Ta'Jay Dunlap gave Dallas Baptist a 53-52 lead on a 3-point play, Ramos responded with a pull-up 3-pointer on a fast break with 6:43 remaining.
St. Edward's maintained a slight advantage over the final five minutes, never trailing but never pulling away by more than four. Ramos gave the Hilltoppers a 63-61 lead on a pair of free throws with 1:10 remaining, but Carson Hughes tied it with a couple of free throws of his own.
JEFF GARY missed a 3-pointer with 49 seconds remaining, but Lujan turned the ball over on the baseline on a backdoor cut, giving St. Edward's the ball with less than 10 seconds remaining.
Ramos received the inbounds pass and brought the ball up the length of the court, appearing to veer towards a Nielsen screen but rejecting it at the last moment, crossing over and stepping back for the pull-up 3-pointer to secure the victory.
Nielsen contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and SEAN ELKINTON had his eighth double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Austin Garner led Dallas Baptists with 16 points off the bench. Lujan scored 12, and Kahn had 11 and eight rebounds.
St. Edward's improves to 18-7 with a 12-4 conference record. The Hilltoppers will host Arkansas Fort Smith on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
