SAN ANTONIO — Senior Day ended in heartbreak for the St. Mary's University Men's Basketball team as St. Edward's hit a shot with 0.8 seconds left to win 67-65 in the regular season finale.
The Hilltoppers (20-11, 13-8) win, combined with Lubbock Christian's win over Midwestern State on Saturday afternoon sets up a third-straight game between the two rivals, as the Rattlers (19-9, 16-6) will be the four seed, and SEU the fifth at the upcoming Lone Star Conference Tournament.
On Saturday, the five seniors for the Rattlers were honored before the game, as the crowd celebrated
Franklin Agu (London, England),
Lachlan Bofinger (Sydney, Australia),
Diego Gonzalez (Arecibo, Puerto Rico),
Sebastian Mendoza (Riverside, Calif.), and
Ryan Salinas (San Antonio).
Agu posted his fifth double-double of the year with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while junior
Damani Claxton (Bronx, N.Y.) led the team with 15 points, four assists and four steals, and Bofinger added 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Rattlers committed a season-high 22 turnovers but crashed the offensive glass with 18 of the team's 43 rebounds, winning the battle of the boards, 43-to-36.
Gavino Ramos, who hit the game-winning shot, scored a game-high 23 points, while Conor Mcmanus added 13 and Lewis Rowe brought down 10 boards for the 'Toppers.
The Rattlers return to the Lone Star Championship after a one-year hiatus. The two teams will play in the 8:30 p.m. game on Friday, March 7, making it the third time in 10 days the two teams have squared off. Surprisingly, Friday will be only the fifth time the two teams have met on a neutral floor, and the Rattlers have a 3-1 lead.
