AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's women's basketball celebrated its seniors after the final game of the season in a ceremony for RONNIE CANTU, JAYDA RUFFUS-MILNER, LAUREN CATHERMAN, and BELLA MUSCOREIL, but lost the regular-season finale 68-63 against St. Mary's to split this week's Battle of the Saints series.
 
JANIAH PERKINS led St. Edwward's with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, closing her first season strong with 15 or more points in four of her final five games, including three of 20 or more.
 
AINSLEY THUNELL and MIKAH CHAPMAN did a great job of jumping post-entry passes early, combining for three steals in the first quarter to limit St. Mary's big frontcourt of Taylor Haggan and Sian Phipps, and the Hilltopper defense forced eight turnovers with five steals. 
 
The game featured six lead changes in the first quarter until St. Edward's reeled off a 7-0 run to create some separation, with J.P. and ISABEL LANGENBERG connecting on 3-pointers as the Hilltoppers took a 17-15 lead into the second quarter.
 
Ramsey Robledo sparked St. Mary's with nine points off the bench, hitting all three of her shots in the quarter, including a 3-pointer and both free throws. Her scoring outburst helped free Haggan inside for seven points in the quarter, leading an 8-for-13 shooting performance to give St. Mary's a 36-35 halftime lead. 
 
Haggan and Robledo led St. Mary's with 11 points each at the break. J.P. was St. Edward's leading scorer with 10 points, and Ruffus-Milner and Langenberg provided nine points each off the bench. 
 
BAILEY FEATHERSTONE got going for five early points in the second half, but Chapman and Thunell each picked up their third foul, and St. Edward's struggled to keep its offense going with 11 points in the quarter, while St. Mary's established Stina Svilberg with six points, getting a 3-pointer and a layup and foul inside. 
 
St. Edward's battled back to tie the game four different times in the fourth quarter, with J.P. pouring in eight points, hitting a driving layup and a pull-up jumper, then getting to the free-throw line on consecutive trips. But Svilberg's versatility caused St. Edward's problems, spacing the floor for a 3-pointer against bigs and working down low for a pair of buckets at the rim against guard to keep the Hilltoppers at bay. The Rattlers also got six points with four free throws from Teanna Huggins. 
 
Svilbert led St. Mary's with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, Haggan scored 15 points with six rebounds, Huggins scored 11, and Robledo ended with 13 off the bench. 
 
Chapman scored 11 points on six shots with three steals, closing the year strong after entering the starting lineup late in the season. Ruffus-Milner added 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. Langenberg ended the game with nine points, hitting three 3-pointers. St. Edward's finishes the season with a 9-19 record, including 6-16 in conference play.