AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's and Texas A&M International each hit clutch 3-pointers in the final minute, but Dustdevils' guard Trinity Chears had the final say in a 64-61 win over the Hilltoppers women's basketball team.
RAMSEY ROBLEDO led three Hilltoppers in double figures with 16 points, hitting 4-for-7 from deep, but Chears answered with 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting.
Chears opened the game on fire, hitting 4-for-7 from the field and scoring 12 points in the first quarter on various pull-up jumpers. St. Edward's responded with a balanced attack orchestrated by J.P. The sophomore point guard set the table with five points and four assists, and
KIANA BENNETT hit a pair of 3-pointers to score eight first-quarter points to give the Hilltoppers a 24-18 lead.
Robledo made all three of her shots from the field and two free throws to score 10 points in the second quarter, but the team shot just 4-for-14 overall to get outscored 17-15 by Texas A&M International.
Chears led all scorers with 16 points at the break, and Robledo and Bennett combined for 23 points at the half, leading St. Edward's to a 39-25 lead.
J.P. picked up three quick fouls in the third quarter, limiting her to under five minutes, and the St. Edward's offense suffered without its top playmaker, shooting 3-for-12 from the field. However, St. Edward's defense remained steady, maintaining a 50-49 lead heading into the fourth.
RILEY MOORE opened the fourth with a layup, but Texas A&M International responded with a 6-0 run to take the 61-58 lead on a Janiya Murphy driving layup with 7:59 remaining. Both teams traded buckets over the next few minutes, with Josie Igherighe giving the Dustdevils a 61-58 lead on a hook shot.
J.P. tied the game at 61 on a 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the Hilltoppers surrendered two offensive rebounds on their final defensive possession, leading to a Chears' game-winning 3-pointer.
St. Edward's drops to 6-8 with a 2-3 conference record. The Hilltoppers will host Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday.
