ST. LOUIS – Robbie Avila led four Saint Louis players in double figures with a game-high 21 points, Kalu Anya grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, and the Billikens defeated La Salle 64-52 Wednesday night at Chaifetz Arena.
Saint Louis improved to 12-7 overall and 5-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Bills are tied with VCU for second place in the league, one-half game behind George Mason (6-1).
SLU held La Salle (10-9, 2-4) to its lowest point total, lowest overall field goal percentage (.338) and lowest 3-point field goal percentage (.118) of the season.
Anya added 11 points (5-of-6 FG) for his third double-double of the season. Gibson Jimerson scored 11 points, and Kobe Johnson (5-of-8 FG) tossed in 10.
Avila grabbed eight rebounds as the Billikens earned a 42-35 advantage on the glass, and he collected five assists. Isaiah Swope registered a game-high seven assists and matched his season best of five rebounds.
La Salle led for most of the first half. The Explorers built an eight-point cushion on three occasions, the final time a 21-13 advantage with 7:41 remaining.
Saint Louis tallied 11 of the next 13 points to take its first lead, 24-23, at the 3:08 mark. La Salle briefly regained the upper hand with a bucket, but SLU stretched its run to 18-4 and carried a 31-25 edge into intermission. Six different Billikens scored during the run.
The SLU defense continued to clamp down in the early stages of the second half, holding La Salle to two points over the first nine-plus minutes while the Billikens built a 16-point lead. The Explorers missed 20 straight shots at one point. The margin swelled to 21 points, 58-37, with 5:04 to play before a late La Salle push accounted for the final score.
The Billikens play at George Washington Saturday, Jan. 25. Tip time is 1 p.m. Central, and the game will be carried on ESPN+.
