Javonte Perkins scored 32 points, just one shy of matching his career high, and Saint Louis held off a late LSU charge to claim an 85-81 victory Saturday afternoon in the Billiken Classic at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens improved to 2-0, while the Tigers slipped to 1-1.
Perkins scored 26 of his 32 points in the second half to lead a torrid Saint Louis offensive attack. The Billikens were 16-of-26 (61.5 percent) overall and 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) from 3-point distance over the final 20 minutes. Perkins was 8-of-11 overall, 4-of-5 from deep and 6-of-6 from the foul line.
For the game, SLU shot 55.4 percent overall, 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from the arc and 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the free throw line.
Gibson Jimerson (6-of-11 FG, 4-of-9 3-pointers) finished with 16 points, Demarius Jacobs (5-of-5 FG) tallied 13 points, and Jordan Goodwin registered his 25th career double-double with 11 points and a game-high-tying 11 rebounds.
Yuri Collins tied for game-high honors with six assists, followed by Perkins with five and Goodwin with four.
Saint Louis led 38-28 at intermission and never trailed in the second half, although LSU trimmed the margin to a single point, 80-79, with 47 seconds left.
Jimerson missed a 3-pointer on the Billikens’ ensuing possession, but Goodwin sneaked in for an offensive rebound. With 17 seconds left, Perkins was fouled on a 3-point attempt just before the shot clock expired, and he buried all three free throws to put Saint Louis on top by four.
An LSU bucket made it 83-81, but Perkins sank two more from the stripe with four seconds remaining to ice the Billikens’ fourth consecutive victory over the Tigers.
After LSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead, Saint Louis outscored the Tigers 14-5 to go on top 14-11 with 10:46 left in the first half. A 10-2 spurt put LSU in front 21-16 at the 8:04 mark.
The remainder of the first half belonged to the Billikens. With six different players recording at least two points – led by seven points apiece from Jimerson and Jacobs – they outscored LSU 22-7 and carried a 10-point cushion to the locker room.
The Tigers narrowed the gap to four in the opening minute of the second half, but a Perkins 3-pointer sparked a 14-6 run that gave the Billikens their largest lead, 52-40, with 15:57 to play.
SLU’s last double-digit lead, 63-53, came with 9:01 left. LSU gradually chipped away, but Goodwin’s crucial offensive rebound prevented the Tigers from having a possession that could have given them the lead. Perkins did the rest from the foul line.
Cameron Thomas (25 points), Trendon Watford (24) and Javonte Smart (18) led the LSU scoring effort. Darius Days grabbed 11 rebounds.
Up next for the Billikens is Arkansas-Pine Bluff Saturday, Dec. 5, at Chaifetz Arena. Tip time is to be determined.
