HONOLULU — Ball control and defense propelled St. Edward's men's basketball to its second consecutive victory to close the weekend in Hawaii, as the Hilltoppers committed only three turnovers and limited Winona State to two points over a six-minute stretch late in the second half of a 72-65 win.
Four Hilltoppers scored in double figures as St. Edward's finished the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic with a 2-1 record, recording 14 assists and turning nine Winona State giveaways into a 14-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
CONOR MCMANUS led St. Edward's with 16 points and four 3-pointers. SEAN ELKINTON contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists, while ROBERT CONRAD scored 11 of his 12 points after halftime. PARKER HANNAH added 11 points, three assists, and three steals, and NOLAN BARKLEY provided nine points on 4-for-4 shooting, eight rebounds, and a team-high five assists.
The Hilltoppers established an early foothold inside. Elkinton opened the scoring with a turnaround jumper, and Barkley collected an offensive rebound and found Hannah for a layup. St. Edward's built a seven-point lead before Winona State worked its way back.
McManus briefly restored a three-point cushion with a 3-pointer, but the Warriors answered with eight of the next 10 points, taking a 29-26 lead on Joevonn McCottry's shot from deep. Barkley kept St. Edward's close with consecutive baskets in the paint, and Elkinton scored the Hilltoppers' final four points of the half to trim the deficit to 33-32.
Elkinton opened the second half with a 3-pointer off Barkley's assist, setting the tone for a sharper perimeter performance. After shooting 2-for-11 from deep before halftime, St. Edward's connected on six of its 14 attempts after the break.
The teams traded the lead until Hannah buried a 3-pointer off Elkinton's pass for a 42-40 advantage. Conrad followed with a layup off another Elkinton assist, Hannah turned a defensive rebound into a driving layup, and McManus capped a seven-point burst with a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 49-41.
Winona State answered, pulling within one before Conrad drove through contact for a three-point play. When the Warriors drew even at 54 with 9:45 remaining, Conrad supplied another response, connecting from behind the arc off CAMDEN COWGILL's assist to put St. Edward's ahead for good.
DONOVAN SANTORO followed with a jumper before Winona State's Tyler Mason made two free throws with 8:26 remaining. The Warriors would score only once more over the next six minutes as the Hilltoppers tightened their defense and finished possessions on the glass.
McManus collected a steal and buried a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 62-56. With McManus and Elkinton alongside Sugeeth Jinkal, Santoro, and Cowgill, St. Edward's began a stretch of seven consecutive Winona State misses. Conrad, Barkley, and Hannah returned with 5:50 remaining to sustain the defensive pressure.
Elkinton found Barkley for a layup before Kaiden Space finally broke through for Winona State with a jumper at 4:34. The Hilltoppers responded with four more defensive stops, allowing Elkinton to help stretch the margin into double figures.
Barkley found Elkinton for a layup, then Hannah collected a defensive rebound and delivered the assist on Elkinton's transition 3-pointer, giving St. Edward's its largest lead at 69-58 with 2:42 remaining.
The Warriors closed within six, but Barkley secured an offensive rebound to extend a crucial late possession, then added a defensive rebound and a free throw in the final minute. Hannah supplied the Hilltoppers' final two points at the line to finish the victory.
St. Edward's shot 43.5 percent from the field and limited Winona State to 7-for-26 shooting from 3-point range. Space led the Warriors with 13 points as Winona State fell to 1-2.
