DALLAS — St. Edward's men's basketball stormed into Dallas and stunned the No. 3 Patriots on their own floor, outlasting Dallas Baptist University 73-70 in a wire-to-wire thriller that announced the Hilltoppers as a true contender.

Freshman RYDER BRADLEY led the charge for the Hilltoppers, recording 19 points, and senior JAMISON KAY followed closely behind at 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.

From the opening tip, the Hilltoppers controlled the tempo, outshot the Patriots in every category, and answered nearly every DBU run with poise.

MASON COURTNEY drained an early corner 3-pointer before Bradley followed with a kick-back three from the top of the key, setting an early tone beyond the arc. BLAKE NIELSEN drove the paint for a tough floater, and Kay added a putback as the Hilltoppers built early momentum.

When DBU banked in a three off the glass, Courtney immediately answered with one of his own. Nielsen floated in another bucket in the lane, ROBERT CONRAD cleaned up the offensive boards with a putback, and DONOVAN SANTORO buried a 3-pointer as the Hilltoppers pushed ahead 23-11 midway through the half.

St. Edward's continued to attack the Patriots inside, with Conrad and Bradley combining for six straight points at the free-throw line. Bradley then caught fire, drilling back-to-back pull-up threes to extend the lead to 35-21 with just over six minutes remaining. The Hilltoppers continued to break through DBU's full-court press with discipline, turning defensive stops into transition opportunities.

The numbers tell a story: St. Edward's shot a solid 44.8 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from deep, and 70.6 percent at the free-throw line in the first half. Meanwhile, DBU struggled to find rhythm against the Hilltoppers' pressure, shooting just 27.3 percent from the floor, 25 percent from 3-point range, and 54.5 percent at the line.

Behind sharp perimeter shooting and steady composure, the Hilltoppers headed into halftime firmly in control, leading the Patriots 46-27.

After a dominant first half, St. Edward's faced a resurgent DBU squad that stormed out of the locker room, ready to take back their home court.

The Patriots opened the second half with renewed energy. Xavion Brown sparked a 4-0 run with a putback and a dunk, pressuring the Hilltoppers into a 10-second violation as they struggled to settle in.

Kay finally broke through for St. Edward's, hitting a midrange jumper five minutes into the half — the Hilltoppers' first points since the break. But the Patriots weren't slowing down, stringing together a 14-2 run that tightened the game and shifted the momentum in their favor.

St. Edward's needed a spark, and SAM MCKINNEY delivered. He fed Kay for an and-one finish, then hammered home a tough dunk through contact, helping the Hilltoppers cling to a 55-51 advantage with 10 minutes remaining.

DBU's AJ Borden brought the Patriots back within one with just over seven minutes left. Still, St. Edward's responded at the line as Conrad knocked down two free throws, McKinney hauled in a crucial offensive rebound, and Bradley picked up where he left off in the first half by drilling a 3-pointer from deep.

With the Hilltoppers clinging to a slight lead, Conrad came flying in for a quick putback off a missed three, giving St. Edward's a brief cushion.

DBU punched back once again, tying the game 67-67 with 1:30 remaining, but Nielsen delivered under pressure. The senior muscled in a tough layup through contact to reclaim the lead, 69-67. Kay stepped to the free-throw line moments later and calmly drained both, putting St. Edward's ahead 71-69 as DBU called a timeout with 9.9 seconds left.

The Patriots' last push came from the free-throw line — missing the first free throw with 6.6 seconds to play but making the second to cut the margin to one. Forced to foul, DBU sent Nielsen to the line with 3.5 seconds remaining. He buried both, and DBU along with it.

St. Edward's improves to 8-0 to start the season with two wins against conference opponents in non-conference games. The Hilltoppers will host Arlington Baptist University on Monday at 7:30 p.m. before breaking for Thanksgiving, then open conference play at home on Thursday, December 4 against Sul Ross State.