AUSTIN, Texas — Mali Wright and Brianna Caldwell each provided 11 points, and Erica Olerich turned in an eight-point, 10 rebound performance, but the Newman women's basketball team ran out of time to make one last comeback attempt in a 63-55 loss to St. Edward's to open up Heartland Conference play Thursday evening.
KEY SEQUENCE
After spending much of the fourth quarter with the score tied or within one, the Hilltoppers (3-6, 1-0 Heartland) broke a 50-50 draw with a 7-0 run that lasted until just 1:03 remained on the clock, which didn't leave the Jets (6-3, 0-1 Heartland) enough time to make a comeback.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Jets found themselves behind in the first minute, as the Hilltoppers netted the first four points of the game, but a three-point play from Lizzy Harrison and a bucket by Shaunice Robinson gave the guests their first lead of the night at 5-4.
-A pair of Wright free throws stretched the lead to 7-4, but St. Edward's went on a 7-2 run to retake the lead. From that point, the Jets scored 10 straight, picking up four points from Cierra Tjaden and a big 3-pointer out of Caldwell to go up 19-11 after one quarter.
-The Hilltoppers scored the first seven points of the second period to pull back into the contest, and took a 24-23 lead on a 3-pointer with 3:15 to go before half. That lead turned into a two-point advantage before an Olerich layup followed on the next possession by another Caldwell triple made it 30-27 going into the half.
-Each side was limited to just two field goals each in the first five minutes of the second half, but back-to-back jumpers by Mali Wright — with the assistance of a Caldwell steal — pushed the Newman lead to 38-31.
-The Hilltoppers twice cut the margin to one possession in the closing minutes of the third quarter, but another Caldwell 3-pointer and a bucket from Olerich kept the hosts at bay heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
-Another short burst from St. Edward's came to start the fourth, as the hosts ran off six straight points to take the lead at 44-43 with 8:04 to play. Caldwell cut that streak short with a pair of free throws to put Newman up 45-44 and the teams went back and forth for the rest of the game.
-Kesha Buckner sank a pair of freebies with 6:11 to play, and Olerich hit a jumper at the 4:38 mark to give the Jets a pair of leads. Robinson hit the back end of a pair of free throws to tie things at 50-all with just under three minutes to play, but the Hilltoppers went on their final run to take the lead for good.
NOTES
-Caldwell, a junior, sunk at least three from beyond the arc for the third straight game, going 3-of-6 from deep. Her 11 points also made it three straight games scoring in double figures.
-Olerich shot 4-of-6 from the field, and her 10 rebounds set a new personal best in a Newman uniform, topping her previous mark of six.
-Buckner added eight boards to her six points, as the Jets outrebounded the Hilltoppers 33-28. Tjaden chipped in with eight points, and Robinson dished out six assists, the best single-game mark this year for Newman.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets play their final road game of the calendar year Saturday afternoon at 1, taking on Texas-Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas.
