ODESSA, Texas – GAVINO RAMOS kept Texas Permian Basin at arm's length with scorching long-range shooting in a 78-68 win over the Falcons to open the St. Edward's men's basketball team's two-game road trip out west. 
 
Ramos led five Hilltoppers in double figures with 18 points, hitting 4-for-7 from deep, to balance a 44-34 St. Edward's advantage in the paint. 
 
Texas Permian Basin opened the game on a 7-0 run, but SEAN ELKINTON sparked a 14-4 Hilltoppers run with two layups and free throws to overtake UTPB with the 14-11 lead on a BLAKE NIELSEN layup. 
 
Both teams exchanged buckets, with neither getting any separation, and St. Edward's took a 32-29 lead into the half. 
 
Elkinton dominated the glass with ten first-half rebounds, including six on the offensive end, leading the Hilltoppers with nine points and ten rebounds in the first half. The Hilltoppers struggled from the field with a 12-for-33 performance but forced seven turnovers and pulled down eight offensive rebounds to take seven more shot attempts in the first half. 
 
Maison Adeleye led UTPB with eight points, though the Falcons didn't register a single assist in the first half with seven turnovers. 
 
Ramos opened the second half with three 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half, and St. Edward's reeled off a 15-8 run to extend its lead into double digits at 47-37 with 15:36 remaining. Texas Permian Basin never brought the game back within a single possession the rest of the way. 
 
Ramos and JAYDEN JOHNSTON were perfect in the second half, combining to shoot 7-for-7 from the field. Ramos scored 12 points, and Johnston contributed nine in the second half. 
 
Texas Permian Basin shot 59.1 percent in the second half but committed eight turnovers and allowed six offensive rebounds while shooting just 10-for-17 from the free-throw line. 
 
Elkinton finished with a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double and a big block in the final minutes to halt a UTPB run. Johnston scored 12 points on five shots with six assists and four rebounds in a solid all-around game. ALEU ALEU added to the firepower off the bench with 10 points, and Nielsen scored 10 with three rebounds and two assists. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 14-6 with a 7-4 record and will travel to play at Angelo State on Saturday.