AUSTIN, Texas — SUNI DAVIS returned gingerly to the court with two minutes remaining. St. Edward's was nursing a seven-point lead, down from 15 earlier in the fourth, and its star point guard was nursing a sprained ankle.

The Hilltoppers wasted no time putting the ball back in her hands, and Davis answered the call — crossing over Ivey Schmidt, slipping between two larger defenders, and laying the ball in.

Davis handled the clutch moment as if it were any other play. And on this night, that moment was every other play: wait patiently for a high ball screen, violently reject it — along with the notion that anyone could stay in front of her — and carve a path to the rim, the free-throw line, and ultimately 24 points and five assists to lead St. Edward's to a 68-58 victory.

St. Edward's set the tone defensively in the first quarter. Unshackled from the foul trouble that plagued her in the previous game, MIKAH CHAPMAN locked down Western Colorado — popping up in passing lanes, hedging hard on ball screens, and standing guards up to force resets. The senior forward posted four points, three rebounds, and two steals in the opening quarter, scoring on an offensive board and taking a steal coast-to-coast.

The Hilltopper frontcourt combined for 13 of St. Edward's 17 first-quarter points, including a 3-pointer each from KENDALL BECK and JASMYN JACKSON.

Davis, Kianna Bennett, RAMSEY ROBLEDO, and RILEY MOORE worked in tandem with Chapman on the perimeter, pressuring the ball and seamlessly switching assignments on screens and cuts to negate any advantage. The scheme confounded Western Colorado, producing seven first-quarter turnovers and a 17-11 deficit.

Western Colorado returned the favor in the second quarter, recording seven steals of its own. The Hilltoppers mitigated the damage with sharp transition defense — including a block in transition from Robledo, who added three rebounds and an assist in the frame — while Chapman and Beck chipped in four points apiece to take a 28-23 lead into halftime.

Beck (nine points, two rebounds) and Chapman (eight points, four rebounds, three steals) combined for 17 of St. Edward's 28 first-half points. Jayda Maves led the Mountaineers with six, while Penelope Urquhart and Schmidt added five each.

Forward Chloe Daniels opened the second half with eight quick points, going 4-for-6 in the paint with three offensive rebounds. But the Hilltoppers seized control with a 12-0 run midway through the third, getting 3-pointers from Davis and Moore while holding Western Colorado to 0-for-7 shooting over 4:23. Jackson capped the surge with a jumper off a Robledo assist to make it 44-32.

Davis scored eight in the quarter — two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws — while Chapman went 3-for-3 for six points. St. Edward's offense stretched Western Colorado side-to-side, then pierced the gaps, assisting on six of eight made baskets on 12 attempts.

Davis continued her takeover in the fourth, opening with two free throws and a driving layup to push the lead to 15. After a brief Mountaineer run cut the margin to nine, Davis responded with a steal and layup, then two more free throws to restore a 13-point cushion.

Midway through the quarter, Davis collapsed after rolling her ankle, and Western Colorado rattled off a 7-1 run — hitting all three shots, including a 3-pointer, while St. Edward's committed two turnovers.

Davis checked back in at the 2:06 mark and immediately steadied the game, scoring a layup and two free throws while the Hilltoppers forced two turnovers to close it out. She finished 7-for-15 from the field and 8-for-8 at the line. Chapman added 18 points and eight rebounds on 9-for-14 shooting.

As efficient as the duo was offensively, they — along with Bennett — were just as disruptive on the other end. Davis (five steals), Chapman (four), and Bennett (three) agitated the Mountaineers with the glee of a child kicking an ant pile just to watch the frenzy. They played physically without fouling, racked up deflections in addition to steals, and sped up Western Colorado's guards on the way to 22 turnovers against just eight assists.

St. Edward's closes the week with two wins and three straight overall, heading into its conference opener against Sul Ross State with a 4-2 record. The Hilltoppers host the Lobos on December 4 at 5:30 p.m.