The Saint Louis Billikens opened Atlantic 10 Conference play with a statement, dismantling Saint Joseph’s 102-79 on Wednesday afternoon in front of 9,218 fans at Chaifetz Arena. Powered by a school-record 19 made 3-pointers, SLU shot a blistering 63.3% from the field and tied the program mark for most points in an A-10 game.
Robbie Avila paced a balanced Billikens attack with a season-high 20 points and matched his career best with eight assists. The sophomore big man knocked down 4-of-8 from deep while orchestrating an offense that dished 25 assists on 38 made baskets and committed just seven turnovers.
Five Billikens reached double figures. Quentin Jones added 17 points, Ishan Sharma poured in a career-high-tying 16 points on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, Trey Green scored all 12 of his points via four triples, and Brady Dunlap chipped in 10 points with a season-high-tying six rebounds and four assists.
The game was close early, featuring 13 lead changes in the first eight minutes. A Jones 3-pointer at the 12:07 mark gave SLU a 22-20 edge it would never relinquish. The Billikens carried a 49-40 advantage into halftime after Dion Brown’s late layup.
Saint Louis seized control immediately after the break, hitting 3-pointers on its first two second-half possessions. Dunlap’s triple pushed the lead to double digits for good at 55-43. Green’s bomb with 15:03 left extended the margin to 20 points (69-49), and the Billikens cruised from there, leading by as many as 28 before settling on the 23-point final margin.
The victory improved SLU to 13-1 overall, the program’s best start since the 1993-94 squad began 14-0. The Billikens have now won seven straight and extended their Chaifetz Arena winning streak to a school-record 14 games. Wednesday’s offensive explosion marked the sixth time this season Saint Louis has scored 100+ points and the seventh consecutive game reaching at least 85.
Next up for the Billikens is a marquee matchup against VCU, the team that narrowly edged SLU for the top spot in the A-10 preseason poll. The Rams and Billikens will meet Wednesday, January 7, in Richmond, Va., with tip-off set for 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network.
Drew Young on X (formerly Twitter): “New Year, New Win #Billikens #SLU pic.twitter.com/d5m2xnn2mS / X”
New Year, New Win #Billikens #SLU pic.twitter.com/d5m2xnn2mS
