AUSTIN, Texas — A big second-half push by the St. Mary's University Women's Basketball team lifted them to a 63-61 victory at St. Edward's on Wednesday evening.
The Rattlers (13-14, 9-12) outscored the Hilltoppers (11-19, 7-13) 38-to-27 in the second half to erase a nine-point deficit at halftime and win the first round of the Battle of the Saints by two points.
Freshman
Christin Callens (Houston) broke the St. Mary's single-season scoring record, leading the team with 18 points to bring her season total to 387, bettering the previous mark of 385 held by
Taylor Haggan from a season ago.
Junior
Imani Ivery (Houston) narrowly missed out on her first double-double, tying her career-highs with 16 points and nine rebounds. She also led the team with three assists. Sophomore guard
Andrea Montesinos (Valencia, Spain) provided a huge spark off the bench, bringing down a career-high nine rebounds as the Rattlers outrebounded the Hilltoppers 42-to-33.
Bailey Featherstone led the game with 20 points and nine rebounds for St. Edward's, while both Janiah Perkins and Kiana Bennett scored 12 each.
The two teams went back and forth in the first quarter with five ties and two lead changes with SEU holding a one-point lead, 15-14 after 10 minutes. Callens scored eight of her 18 points in the quarter, making all four free throw attempts.
St. Ed's pulled away in the second quarter, outscoring St. Mary's 19-to-11. It took over two minutes for either team to score after halftime, but freshman
Raynne Malik (London, Ontario, Canada) broke through the lid on the basket with a free throw at 7:56 on the clock. The Rattlers chipped away at the deficit, closing within two, 40-38 with 1:28 to play, and the third quarter ended at 44-40.
Senior
Stina Svilberg (Tallinn, Estonia) buried a three to kick off the scoring in the fourth quarter to make it a one-point game, 44-43, but it wasn't until the 3:52 point that the Rattlers actually gained the lead when Imani hit a pull up triple for the 55-54 score. St. Ed's immediately grabbed the lead back and stretched it to a five-point contest. With 12 seconds remaining, Callens drained a pair of free throws to snag the lead again, 62-61, and Ivery made a free throw with one second left for the 63-61 final.
The two teams square off in the season finale for both teams on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Bill Greehey Arena. The team will honor lone senior, Svilberg, prior to tip-off.
