The Saint Louis Billikens (15-12, 8-6 A-10) protected their home court with an 81-66 win over the Rhode Island Rams (17-9, 6-8 A-10) on Saturday afternoon at Chaifetz Arena. The victory moves SLU into a three-way tie for fourth place in the A-10 standings alongside Dayton and Saint Joseph’s, positioning them for a potential double bye in the conference tournament.
Key Points:
Avila Leads the Charge: Robbie Avila scored a game-high 22 points, while Gibson Jimerson notched his first career double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Glass Control: The Billikens out-rebounded Rhode Island 42-29 and didn’t allow a single offensive rebound. They also outscored the Rams 12-0 in second-chance points.
Hot from Deep: The Billikens hit a season-high 15 three-pointers on 38 attempts (39.5%) with Jimerson hitting five while Amari McCottry and Dylan Warlick each added two.
Team Effort: Four out of five SLU starters tallied four assists, contributing to the team’s total of 20.
Bench Boost: SLU held a 21-10 advantage in bench points, highlighted by McCottry’s 13 points and eight rebounds.
Betting Recap: Saint Louis covered the -6.5 spread, and the game stayed under the 152.5 total.
Standout Performers:
Saint Louis: Robbie Avila (22 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast), Gibson Jimerson (21 pts, 11 reb, 5-14 3PT), Amari McCottry (13 pts, 8 reb).
Rhode Island: Jamarques Lawrence (19 pts, 5-6 3PT), David Green (16 pts, 4-6 3PT), Sebastian Thomas (8 pts, 9 ast).
What’s Next:
The Billikens (15-12, 8-6 A-10) hit the road to face the Davidson Wildcats (16-11, 6-8 A-10) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CST on ESPN+.