St. Edward’s men’s basketball fended off the St. Mary’s University Rattlers, 80-75, in a ‘win-and-in’ scenario for the Lone Star Conference Tournament. The Hilltoppers came into this year’s Battle of the Saints needing a win in one of their final two games of the regular season to clinch a postseason berth.
“The fans helped us win this game,” Conor McManus said. “We knew we had to win this one to make the tournament.”
Meanwhile, the Rattlers had already clinched a guaranteed spot in the tournament and were playing to potentially earn a top three seed in the postseason next week.
McManus drained his first three for a 5-2 Hilltoppers lead a minute into the game. His basket from deep started a surge of 10 points over the next three minutes, expanding SEU’s lead to 14-13. The Hilltoppers rode the wave created by McManus to initiate a 12-4 run to balloon their lead to 26-17, at the 10:15 mark in the first half.
The Rattlers played from behind for a vast majority of the first half, cutting the deficit to as little as 29-26 with six-and-a-half minutes to go in the half on an Eddie McPhee lay-up. The Hilltoppers ended the half strong, going to the locker room up 35-31. St. Edward’s shot an ultra-efficient 5-10 on three pointers in the first half.
The Rattlers continued to chip away at the Hilltoppers’ lead until they finally recaptured it with two free throws from Franklin Agu.
A minute later, Jamison Kay nailed a triple to regain the lead for SEU, followed by back-to-back lay-ups from Latiek Briscoe to jump ahead 46-41. The Hilltoppers wouldn’t relinquish the lead the rest of the way.
Mason Courtney hit the first of his four three-pointers in the second half, plus McManus would hit two more clutch threes, and the Hilltoppers utilized splendid shooting to lock down the 80-73 victory. The Hilltoppers shot 7-for-10 from deep in the second half.
“I’ve been trying to do whatever is possible to help us win,” Courtney said. “Guys are doing a great job getting me the ball, and I’m making shots right now.”
St. Edward’s concludes the regular season on Saturday, March 1, in San Antonio for another edition of the “Battle of the Saints’” at 3:00 p.m. at Bill Greehey Arena.
