Izaiyah Nelson makes a dunk during Arkansas State’s win over SLU, Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy: Arkansas State athletics)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLU (19-15) | 37 | 41 | 78 |
| Arkansas State (25-10) | 50 | 53 | 103 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
JONESBORO, AR — The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team’s 2024-25 season came to an end on Tuesday, when the Billikens were defeated, 103-78, by Arkansas State in the first round of the NIT tournament in a game played at that school’s First National Bank Arena.
Arkansas State made 16 three-pointers and shot 54.1 percent from the floor in a game it never trailed in and initially led 17-2. Saint Louis was down by 16 points midway through the first half, but went on a 9-0 run to make the score 29-22 with just under eight minutes left before halftime.
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Billikens would get all night. Arkansas State responded by pushing its lead to 18 points just before halftime and to as many as 30 points in the second half.
Junior center Robbie Avila led Saint Louis with 22 points, which included five three-pointers. Freshman guard Amari McCottry added 20 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Isaiah Swope chipped in 16 points.
It was also the final game of redshirt senior Gibson Jimerson’s storied SLU career. He finished with eight points and ended his college career as teh Billikens’ all-time leader in points scored (2,428), three-pointers made (422), and games played (166).
SLU ended its season with a 19-15 record. Arkansas State (25-10) advances to the second round of the NIT and will await the winner of the North Texas versus Furman game that will be played on Wednesday.
Saint Louis 78
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Avila,Robbie | * | 30 | 7-13 | 5-10 | 3-4 | 1-7 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 01 | Swope,Isaiah | * | 37 | 7-17 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| 24 | Jimerson,Gibson | * | 35 | 2-11 | 1-9 | 3-3 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 08 | Johnson,Kobe | * | 25 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 0-6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 06 | Anya,Kalu | * | 19 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 04 | McCottry,Amari | 29 | 8-10 | 0-0 | 4-6 | 1-9 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 20 | |
| 33 | Warlick,Dylan | 13 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 35 | Pikaar,Max | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | Brockhoff,Kilian | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12 | Holmes,Isaac | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 28-58 | 8-26 | 14-21 | 6-28 | 34 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 78 |
Arkansas State 103
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Nelson,Izaiyah | * | 32 | 12-16 | 0-1 | 2-5 | 1-9 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26 |
| 06 | Todd,Taryn | * | 32 | 8-14 | 4-7 | 1-3 | 0-4 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| 08 | Julien,Kobe | * | 26 | 4-7 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 11 | Ford Jr.,Terrance | * | 19 | 4-8 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 05 | Pinion,Joseph | * | 29 | 2-10 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 03 | Ford,Derrian | 26 | 5-6 | 3-3 | 2-2 | 2-1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| 45 | Dominguez,Dyondre | 12 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| 04 | Head,Cody | 4 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | |
| 10 | Felts,Avery | 7 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 00 | Marshall,Rashaud | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 01 | Hill,Josh | 3 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 07 | Butler,Zane | 3 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 30 | St. Clair,Jacob | 2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 40-74 | 16-35 | 7-13 | 11-27 | 38 | 17 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 103 |
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) | L 88-63 (2-2) |
| November 25, 2024 (Monday) | 7 pm | Home | Quinnipiac | Chaifetz Arena | W 81-67 (3-2) |
| November 27, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | UMass Lowell | Chaifetz Arena | W 93-90 (4-2) |
| December 2, 2024 (Monday) | 7 pm | Home | Jackson State | Chaifetz Arena | W 74-66 (5-2) |
| December 5, 2024 (Thursday) | 9 pm | Away | San Francisco | San Francisco, Calif. (War Memorial) | L 78-61 (5-3) |
| December 8, 2024 (Sunday) | 2 pm | Home | Chicago State | Chaifetz Arena | W 85-62 (6-3) |
| December 15, 2024 (Sunday) | 4 pm | Away | Illinois State | Normal, Ill. (CEFCU Arena) | L 81-77 (6-4) |
| December 18, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Wofford | Chaifetz Arena | L 74-71 (6-5) |
| December 22, 2024 (Sunday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Grand Canyon | Phoenix, Ariz. (Global Credit Union Arena) | L 73-72 (6-6) |
| December 28, 2024 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | William Woods | Chaifetz Arena | W 78-57 (7-6) |
| December 31, 2024 (Tuesday) | 1 pm | Away | Fordham | New York, N.Y. (Rose Hill Gym) | W 88-63 (8-6) |
| January 3, 2025 (Friday) | 8 pm | Home | Saint Joseph’s | Chaifetz Arena | W 73-57 (9-6) |
| January 8, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | St. Bonaventure | Chaifetz Arena | W 73-68 (10-6) |
| January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | VCU | Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center) | L 78-62 (10-7) |
| January 18, 2025 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Away | Richmond | Richmond, Va. (Robins Center) | W 63-59 (11-7) |
| January 22, 2025 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | La Salle | Chaifetz Arena | W 64-52 (12-7) |
| January 25, 2025 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | George Washington | Washington, D.C (Smith Center) | L 67-61 (12-8) |
| January 28, 2025 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Home | VCU | Chaifetz Arena | W 78-69 (13-8) |
| January 31, 2025 (Friday) | 6 pm | Home | Dayton | Chaifetz Arena | L 71-63 (13-9) |
| February 4, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Massachusetts | Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center) | W 73-71 (14-9) |
| February 7, 2025 (Friday) | 8 pm | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. (Hagan Arena) | L 76-73 (14-10) |
| February 11, 2025 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Home | George Mason | Chaifetz Arena | L 76-74 (14-11) |
| February 14, 2025 (Friday) | 6 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. (Gentile Arena) | L 79-68 (14-12) |
| February 22, 2025 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Home | Rhode Island | Chaifetz Arena | W 81-66 (15-12) |
| February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Davidson | Davidson, N.C. (Belk Arena) | W 57-56 (16-12) |
| March 1, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Home | Loyola Chicago | Chaifetz Arena | W 98-67 (17-12) |
| March 4, 2025 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Dayton | Dayton, Ohio (UD Arena) | L 75-67 (17-13) |
| March 8, 2025 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Duquesne | Chaifetz Arena | W 90-88 (18-13) |
| March 13, 2025 (Thursday) | 1 pm | Neutral | Davidson | Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena) | W 83-75 (19-13) |
| March 14, 2025 (Friday) | 1 pm | Neutral | Loyola Chicago | Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena) | L 72-64 (19-14) |
| March 18, 2025 (Tuesday) | 8 pm | Road | Arkansas State | Jonesboro, Ark. (First National Bank Arena) | L 103-78 |