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ST. LOUIS – Robbie Avila led five Saint Louis players in double figures with a game-high 19 points, SLU outscored Chicago State 35-13 over the final 15 minutes, and the Billikens improved to 6-3 with an 85-62 victory over the Cougars Sunday afternoon at Chaifetz Arena.
Gibson Jimerson scored 18 points, 16 of which came in the second half as he connected on all four of his 3-pointers following intermission. Kalu Anya and Isaiah Swope tallied 14 points apiece, and Kellen Thames tossed in 13.
Anya grabbed a game-high nine rebounds to help Saint Louis gain a 44-33 edge on the glass. Jimerson, who matched his season high, and Avila collected seven boards apiece.
Swope equaled his season bests of seven assists (game high) and five rebounds. Anya and Avila recorded four assists apiece.
The Billikens shot 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the field overall and 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from beyond the arc in the second half. Their 12 treys (12-of-29, 41.4 percent) tied their second-highest total of the season.
Saint Louis’ 41-33 halftime lead almost completely evaporated in the early stages of the second half as Chicago State outscored the Billikens 16-9 to trail just 50-49 with 15:31 remaining.
But 3-pointers by Jimerson on consecutive possessions extended the lead to 56-51 and sparked an offensive flurry that helped the Bills pull away. The SLU defense also played a big role, shutting out Chicago State over a 4-and-a-half-minute stretch while the margin ballooned to 20 points, 74-54, at the 7:27 mark.
Except for a 10-10 tie, Saint Louis led the entire way. A pair of Avila three-point plays, sandwiched around two Thames free throws, put the Billikens on top 27-18.
Chicago State answered with a 13-5 spurt that narrowed the gap to a single point, 32-31, with 2:25 left. But a 9-2 run, punctuated at the buzzer by Anya’s first 3-pointer of the season, pushed the lead to eight.
Following a break for final exams, the Billikens play at Illinois State Sunday, Dec. 15, at 4 p.m.
