Box Score
SAN ANTONIO — After upsetting the No. 1-ranked team in the Heartland Conference earlier this week, the Rattlers pulled another one over the second seed Saturday.
Formerly in a three-way tie for the third and fourth seed, the Rattlers have solidified the third rank and are now just one game behind the top two seeds after trumping Newman University 59-54 Saturday at Bill Greehey Arena.
The Rattlers (15-6, 7-4 in conference) had a shaky few weeks in which they lost five road games but that has all but been erased as they are back in contention not only for the title, but also to host the tournament itself as they defeated both top seeds, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and Newman (17-4, 7-3 in conference).
Headliners Saturday were
Daryell Taylor (Sr., Houston) with a team-high 14 points,
Christian Bower (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) with 12 points and four assists and
Kevin Kotzur (RS-Sr., La Vernia, Texas) with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Isaiah Matthews (RS-So., Texas City, Texas) and
Fred Wilson (Jr., Seattle) chipped in eight points apiece.
Riding the momentum of a blowout victory over the No. 1-seeded Lions on Thursday, St. Mary's kept charged Saturday to outhustle the Jets to pull off their third straight conference victory. The contest was tight throughout, as both teams knew the stake of the outcome that had the Rattlers trailing at half, 22-20.
Halfway through the final frame however, the Rattlers were up nine, sparked by Kotzur and Bower who scored a majority of their points in the second half. Both teams shot over 44 percent for the game, and with only one second remaining and the Jets down by three, two clutch free throws from Wilson denied any chance for a comeback and sealed the victory by five.
The Rattlers are now in prime position to fight for the right to host the Heartland Conference Tournament.
St. Mary's will be back on the road to play rival St. Edward's University Thursday in Austin, Texas at 7:30 p.m.
St. Mary's University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men's basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men's golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men's golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary's also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary's student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.rattlerathletics.com.
