The No. 19 Saint Louis Billikens continued their dominant march through the Atlantic 10 Conference with a convincing 82-58 victory over La Salle on Saturday afternoon at Chaifetz Arena. A raucous crowd of 9,874 witnessed the Billikens turn a close game into a blowout thanks to a red-hot second-half shooting performance that sealed their 17th straight win.
Saint Louis improved to 23-1 overall and a perfect 11-0 in A-10 play—marking the best 24-game start in program history and putting them just one conference win shy of matching the 2013-14 squad’s program-best A-10 opening. The victory also extended their home winning streak at Chaifetz Arena to 18 games, dating back to last season, while their overall streak ranks as the third-longest active run in NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
The Billikens struggled early, shooting just 41.7% from the field and 30% from three in the first half. They led by only four points at the break, 31-27, after overcoming an early 6-1 deficit and trading ties with the Explorers. Quentin Jones hit a key three-pointer to give SLU the lead for good, followed immediately by another trey from Ishan Sharma.
But the second half was a different story. Saint Louis erupted, connecting on 58.6% (17-of-29) from the field and a scorching 50% (10-of-20) from beyond the arc. The Billikens finished the game at 50.9% overall (27-of-53) and 43.3% from deep (13-of-30)—continuing their season-long trend of elite shooting efficiency, with this marking their 14th game at 50% or better from the field, 11th at 40%+ from three, and 17th with double-digit threes.
The game turned decisively midway through the second half. After La Salle trimmed the lead to 54-48 with an 8-2 spurt, Saint Louis called timeout and responded with a devastating 22-6 run. The Billikens drilled threes on five straight possessions—three from Sharma and two from Brady Dunlap—before Amari McCottry added two close-range buckets and Jones capped the surge with another triple, pushing the score to 76-54 with 3:16 left. That stretch featured eight made field goals in nine possessions and ballooned the lead to its largest of 24 points.
Ishan Sharma came off the bench to lead all scorers with 15 points, going 5-of-9 from three-point range in a standout performance. Amari McCottry added 13 points (10 in the second half), including a career-high seven free throws, while tying his season high with five assists. Quentin Jones contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting (3-of-3 from deep), grabbed a team-high six rebounds, and set career- and game-highs with four blocks. Dion Brown chipped in 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, and Robbie Avila just missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high (and career-tying) eight assists.
La Salle (7-17, 3-8 A-10) fought hard early but couldn’t keep pace with the Billikens’ second-half barrage.
This win keeps Saint Louis firmly atop the A-10 standings as they head out on the road for their next two contests. The Billikens travel to face Loyola Chicago on Friday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m. CT, with coverage on ESPN2.
