The Saint Louis Billikens kicked off their 2025-26 men’s basketball season with a resounding 92-67 victory over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks on Monday night at Chaifetz Arena. Five Billikens reached double figures in scoring, led by Robbie Avila’s 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, as SLU pulled away in the second half behind a stifling defense and efficient offense.
The game started with a back-and-forth affair, as SEMO grabbed an early 22-21 lead with 8:41 remaining in the first half. But the Billikens responded swiftly, embarking on a 10-0 run in under two minutes to flip the script and take a 31-22 advantage. Avila capped the half with a timely 3-pointer, sending SLU into the locker room up 44-35 after five lead changes.
The second half belonged entirely to the Billikens. Trailing briefly at 48-41, SLU ignited a pivotal 16-2 run that ballooned their lead to 64-43 with 11:47 to play. The spurt was fueled by Quentin Jones’ three-point play, Gibson Green’s back-to-back triples, and a flagrant foul on SEMO that gifted SLU five points in one possession. From there, the Redhawks never closed the gap to closer than 16 points, as the Billikens cruised to the win.
Avila was the standout, notching his 11th career double-double with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, to go with his game-high 11 boards and a block. Fellow big man Dion Brown joined him in the double-double club, posting 11 points on an efficient 5-of-7 from the floor and another 11 rebounds—his 10th such performance. Amari McCottry was nearly perfect inside, scoring 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Kellen Thames added 12 points, three assists, and three steals. Quentin Jones rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points and seven rebounds.
SLU’s dominance showed in the stat sheet. The Billikens shot 49.3 percent (33-of-67) from the field and 81 percent (17-of-21) from the free-throw line, while limiting SEMO to 35.5 percent overall and just 25 percent (5-of-20) from three. Saint Louis owned the glass with a 54-29 rebounding edge, translating to advantages in points in the paint (48-28), fast-break points (20-8), and bench production (28-12).
For the Redhawks, who fell to 0-1 in their Ohio Valley Conference opener, BJ Ward led with 16 points, including a pair of threes, to go with three assists. Brendan Terry chipped in 14 points, and Braxton Stacker added 12, highlighted by three steals. Despite the loss, SEMO showed flashes of fight early, but rebounding woes and cold shooting proved costly in the lopsided defeat.
