(Photo Credit: Saint Louis Athletics)
Yesterday, the 7-4 Saint Louis University Billikens took on the 5-5 Vermont Catamounts down at Chaifetz Arena. The Billikens were coming off a win against Texas Pan American, 75-69. The Vermont Catamounts are a mirror image of the Billikens as they too graduated six seniors including their starting rotation
The Billikens got off to another fast start working the ball down low in the post and jumped out to a 6-1 lead. The Catamounts would then hit a jumper, which cut the lead 6-3. Catamounts would hit another jumper that cut the lead to 6-5. The Billikens would go on a 6-0 run and extend the lead 12-5. The last bucket was hit at the 12:50 mark left in the game. The Catamounts would go a run of their own and gained the lead 17-14. The Billikens were in a deep offensive drought, which has happened at least once in every game this season.
At the 5:10 mark, sophomore Mike Crawford drove to the hoop and got an easy lay up and that cut the lead to 17-16 in favor of the Catamounts. The Billikens then got a stop. On the next possession, the call up a high-low game with senior John Manning and sophomore Tanner Lancona who gets the easy basket and gave the Billikens the lead 18-17. After a couple of possessions, junior Austin McBroom gave the Billikens a nice jumper that extended the lead 20-17. On the next possession for Vermont, junior Ethan O’Day used a floater to get the Catamounts to within one.
With 2:00 minutes in the first half, the Billikens work the ball around the three point line, and Tanner Lancona finds Austin McBroom who knocked down a three growing the Billiken lead 23-19. Right before half, the Billikens and Catamounts traded baskets and the score at half time was 25-24 in favor of the Billikens.
At half, the Billikens were shooting 35% from the field, not were you want to be as a team. The Catamounts were shooting 47% from the field. One stat that I did like to see was that the Billikens were outrebounding the Catamounts, 18-13. The Billikens also had 9 offensive rebounds and only 4 turnovers. This is good because the Billikens were giving themselves 2nd chance opportunities and taking good care of the basketball.
Coming out of half time, the Billikens go back to what they do best in the high-low game as freshman Milik Yarbrough got the easy lay up growing the Billikens’ lead. The teams were running up and down the court as the teams trade baskets and possessions. At the first official TV timeout, the Billikens led the Catamounts 29-28. The Catamounts’ Ethan O’Day hit a jumper giving the lead to the Catamounts 30-29.
On the next Billikens’ possession, Yarbrough found freshman Austin Gillman on the back cut for an easy lay up. On the next Billiken possession, the Billikens couldn’t finish down low and the Catamounts grabbed the board and hit a basket on the other end that grew their lead 34-31. On the next Billiken possession, Austin McBroom created a shot off the dribble and hit a jumper, which cut the lead 34-33. The Billikens get a stop on defense and ran the court and found Yarbrough down low for an easy lay up and took the lead 35-34. The Catamounts regained the lead on their next possession 36-35. On the next Billiken possession, junior Ash Yacoubou found sophomore Mike Crawford on the left side behind the three-point line and Crawford hit the three, which gave the Billikens the lead 38-36. This was already the ninth lead change in the game.
With 11:06 left in the game, the Billikens were on offense, and freshman Davell Roby threw a pass right to a Catamounts defender. The Catamounts traveled and turned the ball over giving the ball right back to the Billikens. After a couple of possessions, Austin McBroom finds freshman Austin Gillman who knocked down a three, which grew the Billikens lead, 41-36. The Catamounts were able to answer with a jumper and cut the lead to 41-38. On the next Billiken possession, Austin Gillman hits a jumper off the glass and in and that grew the lead to 43-38. The Billikens were on a 8-2 scoring run.
Under 8 minutes left to play, the Billkens had a lead of 43-40. On the Billiken possession, freshman Davell Roby hit a three and extended the Billiken lead. The teams went back and forth trading hoops and possessions. At the 4:02 mark, the Billikens led 48-44. Mike Crawford was able to draw a foul and sink both free throws and grew the lead 50-44. The Billikens got a stop, and the Billikens found Ash Yacoubou with a lay up which grew the lead by 2. On the next Billiken possession, Yacoubou does it again and got an easy lay up, which gave the Billikens a 10-point lead.
Under 1 minute left to play, the Billikens forced a bad shot by the Catamounts and got the ball up the court and found Yacoubou again for an easy lay up and gave them a 12-point lead. The Billikens couldn’t hit late game free throws, and Vermont came down and hit a three, which cut the lead to 56-49. Catamounts went to the free throw line and hit one of two, and then fouled on the inbounding of the basketball and Yacoubou was able to hit both free throws and grew the lead 58-50. On the next Catamount possession, they were able to get a lay up to the basket and Roby fouled and gave the Catamounts a three-point play. The lead was cut to 58-53. Freshman Marcus Bartley couldn’t hit the necessary free throws to grow the lead. With 5 seconds left, the Catamounts got a lay up and cut the lead to 58-55. The Billikens would win with inbounding the ball.
I am going to give my game ball to freshman Milik Yarbrough. He got his first double-double of the season and career. He had 13 rebounds, 10 points, and 6 assists. He was extremely aggressive on the glass with grabbing 13 rebounds even when the shots did not fall for him. His passing ability has been impressive and has a very high basketball IQ. His effort allowed the Billikens to get on a three game win streak, and the Billikens will be on a 10-day rest. The Billikens next game will be against Vanderbilt on December 31st.
