AUSTIN, Texas — St. Edward's came out of halftime with a lit match and a full tank, ripping off an 8-0 run that turned a deadlocked game into an 83-60 runaway over Texas A&M International in a non-conference meeting between familiar Lone Star foes.
 
Freshman point guard RYDER BRADLEY set the tone from the jump — literally — opening the game with a steal and a dunk that sparked a quick 7-2 burst. But once the adrenaline bled out of the building, both teams settled into a tactical grind that produced a 40-40 halftime draw.
 
Texas A&M International's answer was the same one St. Edward's saw two nights earlier: feed a bruising No. 33 on the block. This time it was 6-foot-7 Gaius M'Ella, punishing the Hilltoppers for 13 first-half points on 6-for-10 shooting. St. Edward's kept him off the foul line, but his gravity tugged defenders just enough to free seven offensive rebounds and a cascade of fouls elsewhere — nine made free throws on 11 attempts.
 
St. Edward's countered with balance. Bradley and JAMISON KAY each scored nine in the half, Kay making himself available off Bradley's dribble penetration for short baseline finishes, an offensive putback, and a 3-for-4 trip at the line. He also added two assists and five rebounds as the Hilltoppers steadily won the margins.
 
TAMIU leaned on Caylen Goff Brown and Peyton Gusters for 14 combined points, and Spivey Word kept the Dustdevils humming with seven points, three steals and three assists — much of it built out of improvisation and shot-clock desperation.
 
And that was the difference. The 40-40 tie lived on the scoreboard, not in the film. St. Edward's consistently generated the shots it wanted against TAMIU's zone — 13 mostly clean catch-and-shoot threes — while the Dustdevils lived off contested late-clock makes or scramble plays. St. Edward's owned the sustainable categories: points off turnovers (8-2), second-chance points (12-4), fast-break points (10-0).
 
The second half brought the regression that felt inevitable.
 
BLAKE NIELSEN, Kay, and CONOR MCMANUS each splashed a three in the opening five minutes, stretching the lead to 54-44 and forcing TAMIU out of its zone. With the Dustdevils scrambling, the Hilltoppers' offense found daylight. Nielsen torched defenders ducking under screens, shooting 3-for-4 from deep and mixing in two hard-driving layups. With made shots allowing St. Edward's to set its defense, M'Ella's second-half touches dried up — just 2-for-6 after the break — and the Dustdevils' improvisation disappeared. TAMIU shot 6-for-28 from the field in the half, salvaging points only at the free-throw line (8-for-10).
 
Once the starters cracked the structure, the bench blew it open.
 
ROBERT CONRAD poured in 10 of his 14 points after halftime, finishing 7-for-10 from the floor with a pair of steals. SAM MCKINNEY added 10 points, but his fingerprints showed up everywhere — two dunks, two blocks, and a constant jolt of activity in 20 minutes.
 
St. Edward's outscored TAMIU 43-20 in the second half, securing its seventh straight win.
 
Nielsen led all scorers with 21 points on 15 shots. Kay matched Conrad with 14, adding nine rebounds and four assists. Bradley stuffed the box score with nine points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
 
The Hilltoppers hit the road next, traveling to Dallas on Saturday to face reigning LSC Champion Dallas Baptist in a non-conference matchup.