AUSTIN, Texas — For long stretches of the first three quarters, St. Edward's women's basketball did nearly everything right except finish plays. In the fourth, finishing didn't require strategy — only toughness. Behind a surge of effort, defensive pressure, and SUNI DAVIS' poise at the line, the Hilltoppers erased a 13-point deficit and stormed back for a 63–60 win over Colorado Christian.

Davis set the tone early with seven first-quarter points, burying a 3-pointer, slicing into the lane, and attacking a closeout to draw free throws. St. Edward's established KENDALL BECK inside to tilt the floor, opening lanes for downhill drives. Defensively, the Hilltoppers swarmed, forced seven turnovers, and funneled CCU into long jumpers.

But the miscues they did make were costly — open layups rolled off, three turnovers turned into a 7–2 CCU advantage, and a couple of loose rotations saddled MIKAH CHAPMAN with two early fouls. The game sat even at 17 after one.

St. Edward's continued generating clean looks from deep in the second quarter but missed all three attempts. Beck earned deep seals but spun away from the rim on several post touches, missing three close-range attempts. CCU capitalized with a 9–0 run to build a 28–21 lead on an Elise Grosdidier jumper.

The Hilltoppers steadied themselves late in the half. JASMYN JACKSON hit a jumper and delivered an assist, ADDIE MCCORMICK slashed through traffic for a layup, and Beck powered her way to the rim twice to pull St. Edward's within 34–32 at halftime.

Davis led SEU at the break with 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting, while KIANA BENNETT added eight points and two assists. KIARA COUNCIL was disruptive defensively with two steals. Still, St. Edward's 43.3 percent shooting didn't reflect the quality of its shot creation — and a turnover advantage didn't translate into points off turnovers.

The lid tightened in the third quarter. The Hilltoppers shot just 2-for-17 and missed all five 3-point attempts, including several in rhythm from the right players. Well-executed backdoor actions turned into rim-outs. Only Beck's two late buckets and a defensive stretch forcing seven turnovers kept SEU within striking distance entering the fourth.

When CCU opened the final frame with a 3-pointer and jumper from Josie Grosdidier to take a 13-point lead, the Hilltoppers didn't call timeout — they simply turned to fresh legs. Chapman, RILEY MOORE, and Davis joined Jackson and RAMSEY ROBLEDO, and the tone of the game shifted.

Davis ignited the rally with a forceful drive through contact to earn free throws. Moore changed the geometry of CCU's offense, blowing up dribble handoffs and backdoor cuts by pressuring the ball and forcing routes off-line. Chapman, finally able to stay on the floor after early foul trouble, disrupted ball screens with sharp hedges and recoveries, while Jackson consistently tagged the roller to take away layups.

From there, Davis took command. She scored nine points in the closing minutes and hit all seven of her free throws in the fourth quarter. SEU's pressing defense forced four turnovers, and the Hilltoppers closed the game on a massive 21–5 run, going 11-of-12 from the line in the quarter.

Davis finished with a game-high 21 points on just nine shot attempts, going a perfect 12-for-12 from the stripe. Beck added 14 points, nine rebounds, and provided a steadying presence in the post whenever the game threatened to slip away. Robledo, despite an off shooting night, pulled down seven rebounds and dished two assists, and Moore posted a +6 plus-minus with relentless defensive activity.

Three Cougars scored 10 points each, but CCU's 22 turnovers to 11 assists proved decisive, despite shooting 42.3 percent from the floor.

St. Edward's improves to 3–2 and looks to carry the momentum into tomorrow's matchup with Western Colorado. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.