SAN ANTONIO – St. Edward's women's basketball opened the away-and-home week against St. Mary's with great defensive intensity, taking home a 64-55 victory in the first game of this week's Battle of the Saints. 
 
The Hilltoppers' frontcourt duo of AINSLEY THUNELL and MIKAH CHAPMAN continued its recent string of solid play by leading the team in scoring with 12 points each, and JANIAH PERKINS overcame a rough shooting performance with a solid floor game, finishing with eight points, seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals. 
 
Thunell and Chapman set the tone defensively with two early steals, with Chapman taking one back for a layup. Five different Hilltoppers scored in the first quarter, and St. Edward's posted six first-quarter steals and recorded a 6-0 advantage in fast-break points to take a 12-9 lead.
 
St. Edward's created some separation with an 8-0 run midway through the second quarter, going up as many as eight with 4:49 remaining in the half. 
 
Thunell opened the quarter with a driving layup, then closed the final five minutes with a scoring burst. Shortly after checking back in for her second stint of the quarter, Thunell ran the floor for back-to-back fast-break layups, with the second coming on a feed from J.P. with a foul for the 3-point play to finish nearly perfect for the half, scoring 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting and a 30-22 St. Edward's lead. J.P. posted five assists at the break, and St. Mary's had more turnovers (11) than made field goals (nine). 
 
St. Mary's found its footing in the third quarter, hitting the glass for an 8-0 advantage in second-chance points in the quarter. However, St. Edward's maintained its lead with an efficient offense, hitting 8-for-13 from the field led by BAILEY FEATHERSTONE, Chapman, and J.P., combining for 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting. 
 
The Rattlers cut their deficit to four twice midway through the fourth quarter, but St. Edward's immediately responded. LAUREN CATHERMAN followed Powell's 3-pointer with a pull-up jumper for a 57-51 lead, and St. Edward's followed a Svilberg turnaround jumper with a 7-0 run. 
 
Thunell finished with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting with three steals and a blocked shot. Chapman hit 6-for-8 from the field with four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. JAYDA RUFFUS-MILNER added eight points, four rebounds, and three steals off the bench. 
 
St. Edward's outscored St. Mary's 26-6 in fast-break points, 20-15 in points off turnovers, and 48-30 in points in the paint. The Hilltoppers improved to 9-18 with a 6-15 record and will close the season on Thursday against St. Mary's at home.