Slu Basketball Visits Dayton After 88-75 Comeback Win Over VCU
The No. 23 Billikens, focusing on better starts, will take their momentum on the road to Dayton on Tuesday after a second-half rally that produced an 88-75 win over VCU. The matchup matters because slu basketball has a chance to strengthen its hold on first place in the Atlantic 10 with a victory against a 18-9 Flyers team.
Slu Basketball headed to Dayton after rallying past VCU
Saint Louis trailed VCU 22-8 in the first half but outscored the Rams 55-33 after halftime, building a lead as large as 19 points en route to the 88-75 victory. The Billikens are 25-2 overall and 13-1 in A-10 play, and the comeback followed an earlier setback when an 18-game winning streak was snapped with an 81-76 loss at Rhode Island on Feb. 17.
Reserve guard Kellen Thames led Saint Louis with 16 points. Sixth man Ishan Sharma scored 13 points, and Robbie Avila and Amari McCottry also added 13 points each. Quentin Jones finished with 11 points, giving the Billikens five players in double figures for the game.
Bench scoring, ejections and discipline shaped the finish
The game ended with Jones and multiple players ejected after a shoving match in the final seconds, an incident that prompted the A-10 to fine and reprimand both teams. Coach Josh Schertz said the team must fix its slow starts: "We really were, until the last five or six games, a fast-starting team. If you think about the season, we have always come out and been really good early, usually. So I don't know (what has changed). We have to figure that out. "
Even with the recent loss at Rhode Island, Saint Louis sits at No. 22 in the NCAA NET rankings, a position the program views as solid as it pursues an at-large or conference title path to the NCAA Tournament.
Dayton's recent grind and the Flyers' chance on Tuesday
Dayton arrives at the matchup 18-9 and 9-5 in the A-10 after a stretch in which it posted three wins in seven days. The Flyers beat Duquesne 78-66 at home on Saturday; Amael L'Etang scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and now averages 11. 9 points with a team-high 5. 8 rebounds per game. Leading scorer Javon Bennett averages 15. 9 points and scored 14 against the Dukes.
Dayton is 84th in the NET and 0-5 in Quad 1 games, so the Flyers view Tuesday's game as another chance to notch a Quad 1 victory. Saint Louis previously beat Dayton 102-71 at home on Jan. 30, and the rematch gives the Flyers a shot at revenge while offering the Billikens an opportunity to reinforce their place atop the conference.
Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz has emphasized the need for better starts in practice this week as the team prepares for the road test. With the A-10 race tight, the Billikens' trips to VCU and Dayton will shape seeding and postseason positioning.
Next up for the Billikens is the road game at Dayton on Tuesday, where Saint Louis will try to translate its second-half efficiency and bench scoring into a full 40-minute performance on the road.
