AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's women's basketball played stifling defense in the first and fourth quarters to lead from start to finish in a 71-51 win over the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers to sweep its South Central Region Crossover. 
 
J.P. set the tone in the first quarter, absorbing Mines' physical play while taking several trips to the ground, getting up, and returning the pain tenfold with 10 points on 4-for-6 shootings, two assists, and excellent point-of-attack defense in the first quarter. 
 
St. Edward's opened the game with a pair of corner 3-pointers. AINSLEY THUNELL found KIANA BENNETT open in the corner on St. Edward's first possession. Then, a few possessions later, J.P. found RAMSEY ROBLEDO for a second one. 
 
Defensively, the Hilltoppers swarmed Mines, forcing five turnovers. Bennett pilfered two passes, Thunell and MIKAH CHAPMAN walled up the post, the St. Edward's held Mines without a point until reserve Petyon Freiermuth made a driving layup nearly eight minutes into the game. 
 
St. Edward's limited Colorado School of Mines to 3-for-12 shooting in the first quarter to take a 21-6 lead, scoring ten points in the pain and six on second-chance points. 
 
The Hilltoppers' offense went cold in the second quarter, shooting just 5-for-15 from the field. The scoring drought gave Mines a foothold, and Jenna Siebert sparked the Orediggers with two 3-pointers. Emma Sixta and Jade Leon added five each, and Mines hit 7-for-12 from the field. 
 
Chapman steaded the Hilltoppers with six points, shooting 3-for-5 and grabbing two steals. ISABEL LANGENBERG hit a critical 3-pointer, and Thunell scored on a late post-up to give St. Edward's a 32-24 lead at the break. 
 
St. Edward's opened the second half with the same frenetic defensive energy as it had to start the game and scored the first six points after the break. Bennett found Chapman for a short baseline jumper, J.P. earned and hit two free throws, then found Bennett for a 3-pointer after Thunell drew an offensive foul to go up 39-24. 
 
Both teams exchanged buckets until Sixta found her rhythm, getting into the paint for floaters and layups to key a 12-0 run to end the third, cutting the Hilltopper lead to 44-40. 
 
The Hilltoppers and Orediggers went back and forth to open the fourth, with Howery driving for a layup to pull Mines to within 50-46 with 5:30 remaining. 
 
That's when the Hilltopper defense kicked in, reeling off a 19-0 run to go up 23 points with 1:20 remaining. Bennett sparked it with a 3-pointer off a J.P. assist, then found Chapman for a layup. 
 
St. Edward's extended its defense out of a timeout, forcing Sixta to pick up her dribble in the backcourt and throw the ball away. J.P. picked up Sixta as her defensive assignment and shut the Mines' point guard down while Thunell drew offensive fouls and Chapman blocked two shots. 
 
The Hilltoppers shot 6-for-7 over four minutes, led by a combined 11 points from J.P. and Bennett. St. Edward's also held Mines to 0-for-5 shooting with three turnovers to blow the game open during that stretch. 
 
J.P. finished with 25 points, five assists, and four rebounds, Bennett contributed 15 points, five rebounds, and hit three 3-pointers, and Chapman had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double on 6-for-11 shooting. 
 
St. Edward's improves to 2-3 and will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, next weekend to play Westminster and No. 21-ranked Colorado Mesa at the Westminster Basketball Invite.