SLU’s Josiah Dotzler goes for a layup during Saturday’s NCAA men’s basketball game against Loyola Marymount at Chaifetz Arena. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Marymount (1-2) | 30 | 41 | 71 |
| SLU (2-1) | 42 | 35 | 77 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — New guard tandem Gibson Jimerson and Isaiah Swope both scored 23 points to lead Saint Louis University to a 77-71 victory over Loyola Marymount, Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena.
Saint Louis improved to 2-1 on the season, while Loyola Marymount fell to 1-2, in a contest that was close throughout, but saw SLU lead throughout.
Loyola Marymount scored the first basket of the game. Saint Louis responded with a three-pointer by Jimerson to take the lead. The Billikens never trailed again.
“We did a lot of good things to win the game,” Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz said. “Did a lot of things to put ourselves in peril. A lot of areas to grow and improve upon. Certainly the closing, from turnovers and some strange shot selection to defensive miscues, we got to be better down the stretch in a tight game to finish the right way.”
SLU led by as many as 14 points before taking a 12-point lead into halftime. In the second half, the Billikens led by as many as 18 points, before Loyola Marymount rallied to within six points with just under three minutes to play.
A Jimerson three-pointer with a minute to go put Saint Louis back up by 11. From there, the Billikens forced Loyola Marymount to foul them and made their free throws to close out the game.
Gibson Jimerson hit six three-pointers and scored 23 points to lead SLU to a win over Loyola Marymount, Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Jimerson was six-of-12 from the floor, with all six makes being three-pointers, and along with his 23 points, Swope also had four assists.
Newcomer Kalu Anya, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Brown, scored nine points, grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, dished out a game-high five assists. Fellow junior Kellen Thames had 12 points, seven rebounds, and made all five shots he took on the night.
SLU also saw the return of senior guard Kobe Johnson, who had missed the first two games with a shoulder injury. Johnson started, but only played 18 minutes and didn’t score. But he was effective on defense and helped the Billikens close out the final few minutes to win the game.
Saint Louis will enjoy a few days off before returning to action on Friday, when it will play Wichita State in the NABC Hall of Fame Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
SLU’s next home game will be Monday, November 25, when the Billikens will host Quinnipiac. Tip off that evening at Chaifetz Arena will be at 7 p.m.
Loyola Marymount 71
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | Johnston,Will | * | 33 | 9-18 | 4-10 | 5-6 | 0-5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| 23 | Merkviladze,Alex | * | 33 | 3-6 | 3-4 | 4-4 | 5-7 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| 05 | Amey Jr.,Myron | * | 32 | 3-12 | 1-7 | 4-5 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| 14 | Porter,Jevon | * | 32 | 4-15 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 21 | Diop,Matar | * | 9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Stone-Carrawell,Caleb | 25 | 2-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
| 16 | McBride,Aaron | 22 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |
| 07 | Vide,Jan | 12 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 10 | Lewis,Lamaj | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 23-62 | 10-29 | 15-19 | 13-27 | 40 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 71 |
SLU 77
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Jimerson, Gibson | * | 40 | 6-12 | 6-10 | 5-6 | 0-7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 01 | Swope, Isaiah | * | 36 | 8-19 | 3-8 | 4-6 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| 00 | Thames, Kellen | * | 29 | 5-5 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2-5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 06 | Anya, Kalu | * | 34 | 4-11 | 0-2 | 1-5 | 6-7 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 08 | Johnson, Kobe | * | 18 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 02 | Hughes II, Larry | 16 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 13 | Dotzler, Josiah | 16 | 2-4 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 04 | McCottry, Amari | 7 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Brockhoff, Kilian | 4 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 27-61 | 11-29 | 12-19 | 12-29 | 41 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 77 |
2024-25 SLU BILLIKENS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV/Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2024 (Monday) | 2 pm | Neutral | Santa Clara | Sioux Falls, S.D. | L 85-78 (0-1) | ||
| November 10, 2024 (Sunday) | 3 pm | Home | Avila | Chaifetz Arena | W 95-44 (1-1) | ||
| November 16, 2024 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Loyola Marymount | Chaifetz Arena | W 77-71 (2-1) | ||
| November 22, 2024 (Friday) | 9:30 pm | Neutral | Wichita State | Kansas City, Mo. (T-Mobile Center) | Peacock | ||
| November 25, 2024 (Monday) | 7 pm | Home | Quinnipiac | Chaifetz Arena |  | ||
| November 27, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | UMass Lowell | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| December 2, 2024 (Monday) | 7 pm | Home | Jackson State | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| December 5, 2024 (Thursday) | 9 pm | Away | San Francisco | San Francisco, Calif. (War Memorial) | | ||
| December 8, 2024 (Sunday) | 2 pm | Home | Chicago State | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| December 15, 2024 (Sunday) | 4 pm | Away | Illinois State | Normal, Ill. (CEFCU Arena) | | ||
| December 18, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Wofford | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| December 22, 2024 (Sunday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Grand Canyon | Phoenix, Ariz. (Global Credit Union Arena) | | ||
| December 28, 2024 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | William Woods | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| December 31, 2024 (Tuesday) | 1 pm | Away | Fordham | New York, N.Y. (Rose Hill Gym) | | ||
| January 3, 2025 (Friday) | 8 pm | Home | Saint Joseph’s | Chaifetz Arena |  | ||
| January 8, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | St. Bonaventure | Chaifetz Arena | Peacock | ||
| January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | VCU | Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center) | | ||
| January 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Away | Richmond | Richmond, Va. (Robins Center) | USA Network | ||
| January 22, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | La Salle | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| January 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | George Washington | Washington, D.C (Smith Center) | | ||
| January 28, 2025 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Home | VCU | Chaifetz Arena | CBS Sports Network | ||
| January 31, 2025 (Friday) | 6 pm | Home | Dayton | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| February 4, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Massachusetts | Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center) | | ||
| February 7, 2025 (Friday) | 8 pm | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. (Hagan Arena) | ESPN Networks | ||
| February 11, 2025 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Home | George Mason | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| February 14, 2025 (Friday) | 6 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. (Gentile Arena) | | ||
| February 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Home | Rhode Island | Chaifetz Arena | USA Network | ||
| February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Davidson | Davidson, N.C. (Belk Arena) | | ||
| March 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Home | Loyola Chicago | Chaifetz Arena | CBS Sports Network | ||
| March 4, 2025 (Tuesday) | TBA | Away | Dayton | Dayton, Ohio (UD Arena) | | ||
| March 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Duquesne | Chaifetz Arena | | ||
| March 12-16 | TBA | Neutral | Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament | Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena) |