SAN ANTONIO – St. Edward's men's basketball made several runs in the second half against the second-ranked team in the nation, pulling within four with under six minutes remaining. However, Washburn closed the game on a 20-4 to defeat the Hilltoppers 87-67.
 
Washburn opened the game on a 9-3 run, scoring on four consecutive free throws before LEWIS ROWE splashed in a hook shot. The Ichabods responded with another 7-2 run, capped off by a Dillon Claussen dunk. 
 
GAVINO RAMOS answered with a driving layup, then found JAMISON KAY inside for a turnaround jumper, bringing the Hilltoppers back within four at 16-11. 
 
Brayden Shorter kept St. Edward's at bay with 3-pointers on back-to-back Washburn possessions, hitting four in the game's first 10 minutes. Washburn's leading scorer entered the game averaging three 3-pointers a game and shot 7-for-10 from distance in the first half, leading all scorers with 21 points. 
 
MASON COURTNEY and SAM MCKINNEY hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull St. Edward's back within three at 22-19, but Washburn reeled off an 18-6 run capped off by a pair of Shorter 3-pointers to go up 40-25. Kay kept St. Edward's afloat with six points down the stretch, and Ramos made a free throw with two seconds remaining to close the half with a 44-32 deficit. 
 
Washburn hit 8-for-19 from deep and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line in the first half. Kay led St. Edward's with 10 points and four rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting, and Courtney scored eight with two 3-pointers, but the Hilltoppers shot just 3-for-14 from the 3-point line as a team. 
 
Both teams exchanged baskets early in the second half until St. Edward's went on a 7-0 run started by a 3-pointer and layup from Courtney and a layup by Rowe to pull back to within single digits at 49-41 four minutes in. 
 
The Washburn lead hovered around 10 points over the next few minutes, expanding to 61-50 on a Christiansen 3-pointer midway through the second half. McKinney sparked St. Edward's with a 3-pointer, leading an 11-2 run over the next four minutes with seven points during that stretch, bringing the Hilltoppers back to within two on a Courtney layup with 6:30 remaining. 
 
Hanna responded with a driving layup and assisted Shorter on a fastbreak layup. JAKE DEFRANZA answered with free throws, but St. Edward's scored only two more field goals the rest of the way. 
 
Courtney led St. Edward's with 15 points and three steals, hitting three 3-pointers. Kay and McKinney scored 14 each, and Rowe added 10 points. Shorter led all scorers with 25 points, and Hanna scored 19, seven rebounds, and six assists. 
 
St. Edward's drops to 8-4, and Washburn remains undefeated at 10-0. The Hilltoppers will stay in San Antonio to play Central Oklahoma tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.