Two programs that reached the NCAA Tournament a season ago, both still undefeated and receiving votes in the latest Associated Press Top 25, meet Sunday afternoon when the Saint Louis Billikens host the High Point Panthers at Chaifetz Arena. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
The Billikens (3-0) enter riding a wave of offensive dominance. On Tuesday they dismantled Northern Kentucky 125-63, establishing multiple Chaifetz Arena records against a Division I opponent: most points (125), largest margin of victory (62), assists (30), and steals (18). Saint Louis has now won 24 consecutive games at home dating back to the 2024-25 season, the sixth-longest active home winning streak in NCAA Division I.
Five returning rotation players are all averaging double figures. Kellen Thames and Quentin Jones each scored 15 to pace the Billikens against Lehigh. Amari McCottry and Ishan Sharma shared the team high with 17 apiece in a road win at Missouri. Trey Green erupted for a game-high 22 against Northern Kentucky. Through games of Nov. 12, Thames led the nation in field-goal percentage at .900 (18-of-20). As a team, Saint Louis ranks second in the NCAA in three-point percentage (.494) and effective field-goal percentage (.670).
Head coach Josh Schertz is 51-21 at Saint Louis and 454-130 for his career. His .777 winning percentage ranks among the top 10 of all active NCAA head coaches across every division.
High Point (4-0) arrives after wins over Liberty, Maryland Eastern Shore, Washington State, and Southern Utah. Last season the Panthers went 31-5, captured the Big South title, and knocked off fifth-seeded Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They currently rank among the nation’s better defensive teams, allowing just 59.0 points per game.
St. Louis native Cam’Ron Fletcher leads the Panthers’ returning core. The forward averaged 13.2 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds a season ago and is at 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds through four games this year. CJ Brown (12.8 ppg) and Jason Rivera-Torres (12.3 ppg) are also scoring in double figures. Isaac Garrett leads High Point in both blocks (five) and steals (10). Second-year head coach Flynn Clayman was named the 2026 Red Auerbach Coach of the Year after previously serving as High Point’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator.
The teams have met once before, with Saint Louis winning 67-55 in St. Louis on Nov. 20, 2019.
Sunday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Mike Corey and Jon Sunvold on the call. On radio, the longtime Billiken broadcast tandem of Bob Ramsey (41st season) and Earl Austin Jr. (36th season) will have the action on 104.1 FM / 1120 AM KMOX and the Varsity Network App. Live statistics will be available via StatBroadcast.
Both sides have already shown they belong among the top mid-major programs in the country. Chaifetz Arena has been a fortress for the Billikens, while High Point has proven it can win in March. Sunday’s nationally televised matchup offers an early-season measuring stick for both.
