LANGLEY, British Columbia — BLAKE NIELSEN returned for his first game in a year, and St. Edward's men's basketball picked up where it left off last year's regular season with a 93-82 victory over Western Washington.
 
Nielsen settled in by initiating a backdoor pass from the elbow, in a set so familiar that not even an extended absence from the court could dull his muscle memory of it. 
 
So much of the Hilltoppers remained familiar to the 6-foot-6 fifth-year point forward. JAMISON KAY, CONOR MCMANUS, and MASON COURTNEY lined up alongside Nielsen as they did a year ago, as well as the longtime sight of the No. 3 jersey weaving in and out of traffic while sharing the playmaking responsibilities. 
 
And yet, nothing ever remains precisely the same. 
 
GAVINO RAMOS — Nielsen's longtime teammate and best friend — joined Nielsen in the team huddle, but it was freshman RYDER BRADLEY who started in the No. 3 jersey, pouring in 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in his collegiate debut while Ramos looked on from his new role as graduate assistant. 
 
Nielsen's repertoire and vision remain intact, if a little rusty early. The patented baseline spin sprung him free at the rim, but the layup was left short. The pick-and-roll dance with Kay opened an angle to the basket, but the pass was a touch too heavy. 
 
St. Edward's bench gave the Hilltoppers their first foothold in the game. LUCA BAREI entered a time game a little more than five minutes in, moving up a position to replace Kay at the five, and quickly supplied energy with an offensive rebound and cut, drawing four free-throw attempts and hitting three. 
 
Bradley returned for his second stint with firmer control of the offense, adapting to the college game on the fly, finding Barei and SAM MCKINNEY slipping inside for back-to-back layups. 
 
Cook's complex offensive schemes are both a blessing and a curse for a young point guard. Its decentralized nature removes the burden from any one player to carry it, but the reads and required urgency are enough for anyone to navigate, let alone someone playing his first collegiate game. 
 
Bradley managed it with aplomb with eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the first half, leading a balanced attack while Nielsen struggled from the field with a 1-for-5 start. McKinney scored a team-high nine points in the first half, with Bradley, Courtney, and Barei adding eight each in an offense that was less pick-your-poison and more choose-your-own-adventure — each option leading to a multitude of other cascading options for a 47-34 lead at the break. 
 
That cushion bought Nielsen time to recalibrate. Then, all at once, he erupted.

He opened the second half with a spin into a floater that kissed the rim and fell, then slipped an off-ball screen for a high-low finish from Kay. Suddenly, the layups that rolled off in the first half began dropping, even the difficult ones — including a fadeaway jumper through contact and one of his 11 free-throw attempts. 

Nielsen finished with a game-high 25 points, leading four Hilltoppers in double figures. McManus added 11 points, Barei scored 10 with seven rebounds, and McKinney chipped in nine with five rebounds in 16 minutes, posting a team-best plus-21.

St. Edward's hit 10 of 21 from beyond the arc and assisted on 18 of its 32 field goals. The defense forced 17 turnovers, rotating on a string and applying pressure at key points.

The Hilltoppers led by as many as 25 with 4:50 remaining before Western Washington made a 7-0 run in the closing minute after St. Edward's cleared the bench.

The Hilltoppers will remain in Canada to face host Simon Fraser on Saturday at 10 p.m.