Stanford’s Benny Gealer drained a circus 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Cardinal to a 78-77 victory over SLU in the Acrisure Invitational championship game Friday night at Acrisure Arena.
The loss drops the Billikens to 6-1, handing them their first defeat of the season in gut-wrenching fashion. Stanford, also now 6-1, claims the tournament title after a second-half comeback fueled by sharpshooting from beyond the arc.
Saint Louis controlled much of the game, building leads as large as 15 points in the first half and still holding a 13-point advantage deep into the second. The Billikens were lights-out from the free-throw line, connecting on their first 17 attempts and finishing 26-for-28 (92.9%) for the night—a near-perfect performance that kept them ahead late.
But Stanford mounted a furious rally, erupting for seven 3-pointers in the second half alone. The Cardinal’s perimeter barrage erased SLU’s cushion, setting the stage for the dramatic final sequence.
With four seconds left and trailing 77-74, Stanford earned a 1-and-1 free throw. Ebuka Okorie sank the first to cut the deficit to two, then intentionally missed the second. The Cardinal grabbed the offensive rebound, swung the ball around the perimeter, and kicked it to Gealer in the corner. Leaning into a closing SLU defender, Gealer heaved a high-arcing 3 that swished through the net as the horn sounded, sending the Stanford bench into delirium.
Coach Josh Schertz’s squad will have little time to dwell on the defeat. SLU hits the road for the first time this season on Tuesday, traveling to Los Angeles to face Loyola Marymount at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Billikens will look to rebound quickly against the Lions, who bring physicality and home-court energy to the matchup.
Despite the heartbreak, Saint Louis exits the Acrisure Invitational with a battle-tested resume and valuable lessons from a top-100 opponent.
