STEPHENVILLE ? The Tarleton women's basketball team scored the game's final seven points to preserve a 69-61 win over St. Edward's Tuesday night at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville.
It was Tarleton's fourth straight win this season and eighth straight win over the Hilltoppers. The TexAnns improve to 4-2 on the season while the Hilltoppers fall to 3-4. It was SEU's third straight loss.
Despite a sloppy first half that included nine Tarleton turnovers, the TexAnns managed to take a four-point lead into halftime.
JoAnne Jones put the TexAnns on the board first with a steal and a lay-up, but Haley Tidwell followed with a Hilltopper three-pointer to put SEU on top 3-2 with 18:24 to play. The Hilltoppers took a five-point lead with 16:16 left to play on Jasimine Parr's lay-up, but a lay-up from D'Anna Dingler followed by Sonya Sundberg's three-pointer tied the game 9-9.
SEU's Kelli Payton hit a jumper with 10:53 remaining in the half to put the Hilltoppers on top 15-12, but another three-pointer from Sundberg tied the game again, 15-15. The TexAnns then went on a 5-0 run to take a 20-15 advantage with 8:57 left in the half. Costly turnovers led the Hilltoppers back into the game and Sara Head's free throws with 7:36 left to play tied the game again, 20-20.
The TexAnns and Hilltoppers would trade points throughout the next five minutes before Tarleton ended the half going on a 5-1 run and headed into the locker room with a 33-29 lead.
Sundberg led the way for the TexAnns pouring in nine points and dishing out three assists in the first half.
The TexAnns began the second half scoring 10 of the first 16 points to take an eight-point lead, 43-35. The Hilltoppers scored the next four points to cut the TexAnn lead in half, but Tarleton managed to score on back-to-back buckets following two SEU turnovers to regain their eight-point lead and take a 47-39 lead.
With a little over 10 minutes left to play, the Hilltoppers went on a 9-3 run to pull within one point, down 50-49. Brittany Coleman's free throws gave the TexAnns a three point lead, but SEU's Charron Sumler scored and was fouled on the ensuing possession. Her free throw tied things up 52-52 with 7:56 left to play.
Both teams exchanged leads throughout the next five minutes until Jones' lay-up with 2:05 left gave the TexAnns a 62-59 lead. Payton converted both of her free throws following a foul on the next possession to pull the Hilltoppers to within one, down 62-61. But that would be SEU's final points scored as the TexAnns scored the final eight points and went on to defeat the Hilltoppers, 69-61. Dingler's steal and lay-up on a Hilltopper in-bounds pass sealed the victory for the TexAnns.
Sundberg finished with 16 points leading the TexAnns in scoring while Jones and Dingler each finished with 11 points apiece. The TexAnns shot 43.5 percent in the second half and finished the game shooting 38.9 percent from the field.
Parr led the Hilltoppers with 17 points while Sumler and Payton followed with 13. SEU shot 41.5 percent from the field.
The TexAnns will not have long to reflect on the win as they will host Texas Woman's on Thursday for the first Lone Star Conference crossover game of the season. Thursday's game will be Toys for Tots night and all fans brining in an unwrapped toy will receive free admission into the game.
