After a tough loss to Dallas Baptist University on Feb. 6, the St. Edward’s men’s basketball team bounced back with a dominant 86-64 victory over the University of Texas at Tyler Patriots on Saturday, keeping its playoff hopes alive.
“We know that every game is important,” St. Edward’s head coach Andre Cook said. “We can’t look past anybody.”
The Hilltoppers got on the board early when senior guard Gavino Ramos knocked down a 3-pointer two minutes into the game. From there, the teams traded baskets in a back-and-forth contest, with neither side able to pull away.
Late in the first half, St. Edward’s turned up the defensive pressure, forcing two shot clock violations and trying to shift the momentum. However, UT Tyler held strong, and at halftime, the Hilltoppers trailed by one, 30-29.
Jamison Kay led St. Edward’s in scoring with 18 first-half points, keeping the Hilltoppers within striking distance.
Coming out of the break, the Hilltoppers wasted no time taking control, opening the second half with a 7-0 run that forced the Patriots to call a timeout. Conor McManus led the charge, drilling back-to-back 3-pointers. Latiek Briscoe added a deep three, followed by another from McManus, extending St. Edward’s lead.
The Patriots fought to stay in the game, using a pair of powerful dunks to close the gap to 58-52 with nine minutes remaining. Nevertheless, the Hilltoppers responded with a dominant closing stretch.
With four minutes left, Ramos caught momentum, scoring 11 straight points to push St. Edward’s ahead 77-61. The scoring surge, along with clutch 3-pointers from Braeden Spinden and Jake DeFranza, secured the win for the Hilltoppers.
“Getting some to fall, especially consecutively, is a good feeling,” Ramos said. “Obviously, seeing that spread the game out and seal that for us was an even better feeling.”
The Hilltoppers will stay at home this week, hosting Cameron University on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. as they continue their push toward the postseason tournament. The Hilltoppers currently stand eighth with a record of 9-7 in the conference and 15-10 for the overall season.
