AUSTIN, Texas — Winning time has become a proving ground for St. Edward's. For the second consecutive game, the Hilltoppers walked into the final defensive possession with everything on the line — and for the second consecutive game, they walked away standing.

This time, it came in overtime.

BLAKE NIELSEN delivered the go-ahead basket with 10 seconds remaining, and JAMISON KAY secured the final defensive rebound to seal a 79-76 overtime victory over Angelo State on Thursday night at the Recreation and Athletic Center.

Angelo State had one final opportunity to extend the game, but Quadir Pettaway's three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short, and Kay pulled down the rebound — the final act in another defensive stand that has quickly become the Hilltoppers' identity.

The victory pushed No. 22 St. Edward's to 22-4 overall and 11-4 in Lone Star Conference play, and reinforced a growing pattern: when the margin tightens and the clock shortens, the Hilltoppers sharpen.

Kay finished with 23 points and eight rebounds, delivering a series of critical plays in overtime, including a dunk to reclaim the lead and two clutch free throws earlier in the extra period. RYDER BRADLEY added 19 points and four assists, continuing his emergence as a steady presence in decisive moments, while Nielsen contributed 18 points and nine rebounds, including the decisive basket in the final seconds. ROBERT CONRAD added 11 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting performance.

The night did not begin comfortably. Angelo State dictated the first half behind second-chance opportunities and perimeter shooting, building a 13-point lead midway through the opening period. The Hilltoppers struggled to find rhythm from beyond the arc early, opening 0-for-11 from three-point range, but stayed within reach by attacking the paint and converting at the free-throw line.

That persistence became momentum in the second half.

Bradley tied the game at 42 with a three-pointer early in the period, igniting a stretch where St. Edward's rediscovered its offensive flow. Conrad's driving layup and subsequent three-pointer pulled the Hilltoppers within one, and moments later, CONOR MCMANUS finished through contact to give St. Edward's its first lead since the opening seconds.

Still, Angelo State refused to yield. The Rams answered each surge, reclaiming the lead in the final seconds of regulation after a fast-break sequence and second-chance basket put St. Edward's behind with just 12 seconds remaining.

Kay responded with calm certainty, drawing a foul and sinking two free throws with five seconds left to tie the game at 67 and force overtime.

In overtime, execution replaced chaos.

Bradley opened the scoring with a driving layup, Nielsen followed with a poised mid-range jumper, and Kay delivered the emotional centerpiece with a powerful dunk that restored the lead with under two minutes remaining. Each possession tightened the grip of the game.

Angelo State cut the deficit to one with 36 seconds left, but Nielsen answered with a composed floater in the paint to push the lead to three. On the final possession, St. Edward's forced a contested three-point attempt, and Kay secured the rebound, closing the door.

The Hilltoppers shot 45.5 percent from the field and an efficient 83.3 percent in overtime, executing with clarity when it mattered most. More telling, they held Angelo State scoreless from the field in the final seconds of both regulation and overtime.

For the second straight game, the Hilltoppers found themselves in the space where games are decided not by comfort, but by conviction.

And for the second straight game, they proved they belong there.