AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 12 St. Mary's University STUNT team dropped both games at the St. Edward's Tournament on Saturday evening, losing 32-16 to No. 3 DBU before dropping a heartbreaker 21-20 to No. 8 Ashland in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
The Rattlers (7-9, 5-2) and Patriots (12-3, 8-0) tied each of the first two routines of the day, keeping fans on the edges of their seats throughout the entire game. DBU edged StMU on minor deductions on routine 4 in the third round, and neither team scored in the fourth round for a 4-3 score at the end of the first quarter.
The Patriots built a lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Rattlers 6-2 in pyramids & tosses, winning routines 2 and 7 on minor deductions and earning the point outright in routines 4 and 3.
The third quarter had the same scoring as the second, with DBU outscoring StMU 6-2 to build a 16-7 advantage. The two teams were close in the fourth quarter in team routines, but the Patriots scored 16 to the Rattlers' 9 for the 32-16 final. StMU did win the jumps & tumbling point of routine 4 and tied DBU in partner stunts in routine 2 and jumps & tumbling in routine 7.
The Rattlers and the Ashland Eagles were very evenly balanced in the nightcap, as both teams scored 20 points through the four quarters, but the Rattlers were penalized by a new self-forfeit rule that was added this season.
A team is only allowed to call a routine and not complete the round once per quarter. In the fourth quarter, a self-forfeit is called if any of the three sections (partner stunts, jumps & tumbling, pyramids & tosses) are forfeited, but the Rattlers were unaware of the second section of the rule. The team called routines 5 and 7 in the fourth quarter, but only completed two of the three parts of the team routine, and Ashland received a bonus point, winning 21-20.
The Eagles took a 5-3 lead after the first quarter, winning routines 7, 3 (via minors) and 5, before the Rattlers won 2 on minor deductions.
Each team scored four points in the second stanza, with StMU winning 7 and 4 outright, while Ashland won 1 and 2 via minor deductions.
Ashland outpaced StMU 4-2 in the third quarter for 13-9 lead headed into the team routines. The teams tied on routines 4 and 5, but the Eagles won routines 3 and 7 in the final two rounds.
Each team scored in all three routines of the first round, with StMU scoring 4 points, then the Rattlers outscored Ashland 2-1 in routine 7. Both teams scored three points in the third round, and StMU won the first two sections of routine 5 to knot the score.
The Rattlers will take on McNeese State and Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday, March 13, before heading to the Lone Star Conference Tournament March 27-28. The tournament will take place at DBU due to its two wins over StMU this weekend.
