Terrence Hargrove and the SLU Billikens will host UMass, Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
SLU Basketball – Gameday Info
Game No. 20 – Massachusetts (12-7, 3-4) at SLU (8-11, 1-5)
Date/Time – January 27, 2024 – 7 pm
Location – Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, MO
Broadcast – Bally Sports Midwest
Radio – KMOX 1120AM
Live Stats – SLU StatBroadcast
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team will conclude its two-game homestand this week by hosting Massachusetts in an Atlantic 10 Conference game, Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens have been struggling lately, having lost three straight, including a home game this past Wednesday against Davidson.
Saint Louis is currently tied with Duquesne and La Salle for last place in the Atlantic 10 standings, but could move out of that spot with a win it so desperately needs.
UMass lost a heartbreaker in its last game, a 78-77 heartbreaker to Saint Joseph’s. The score was tied six times and the lead changed hands eight times, before Saint Joe’s Lynn Greer hit a layup with one second left to win the game for the Hawks.
The Minutemen are 12-7 on the year and dropped to 3-4 in conference play. SLU is 8-11 and has a 1-5 mark in A-10 play.
Players to Watch: SLU’s leading scorer continues to be junior guard Gibson Jimerson, who averages 15.3 points per game and is sixth in the A-10 with 45 made three-pointers this year.
But lately, the Billikens’ best player has been 6-9 big man Bradley Ezewiro, who had a career-high 20 points in SLU’s last outing against Davidson. Sophomore Kellen Thames has also played well lately. He’s averaging 8.0 ppg on 11-of-18 shooting in Saint Louis’ last three games.
Terrence Hargrove and Sincere Parker have also been key contributors for the Billikens of late.
UMass leads the A-10 in several team categories, including fastbreak points per game (13.9), offensive rebounds per game (13.8) and turnover margin (3.4). They are second in the A-10 in scoring offense (81.2 ppg).
Saint Francis transfer and last year’s NEC Freshman of the Year Josh Cohen leads the Minutemen with 17.3 ppg. He shoots 56.2 percent from the field while also averaging 7.2 rebounds.
Matt Cross averages 15.7 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds. Rahsool Diggins also scores in double figures for the Minutemen, posting 12.6 ppg including a team-leading 41 3-pointers.
Up Next: The Billikens will be back on the road for its next contest. Saint Louis will travel north to play Loyola-Chicago on Tuesday.
SLU’s next home game will be next Saturday, February 3, against Fordham.
UMASS MINUTEMEN STARTERS
| Player | Yr. | Pos. | Ht./Wt. | PPG | RPG | Assists | Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Rahsool Diggins | Jr. | Guard | 6’2/185 | 12.6 | 2.8 | 44 | 22 |
| 5 Keon Thompson | So. | Guard | 6’0/210 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 61 | 22 |
| 11 Jayden Ndjigue | Fr. | Guard | 6’4/190 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 39 | 24 |
| 23 Josh Cohen | Sr. | Forward | 6’10/220 | 17.3 | 7.2 | 33 | 19 |
| 33 Matt Cross | Sr. | Forward | 6’7/230 | 15.7 | 8.4 | 50 | 28 |
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY BILLIKENS STARTERS
| Player | Yr. | Pos. | Ht./Wt. | PPG | RPG | Assists | Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cian Medley | Fr. | Guard | 5’11/165 | 4.6 | 2.5 | 13 | 16 |
| 3 Bradley Ezewiro | Jr. | Forward | 6’9/265 | 15.2 | 7.6 | 6 | 1 |
| 21 Sincere Parker | Jr. | Guard | 6’3/195 | 13.8 | 4.4 | 3 | 3 |
| 22 Terrance Hargrove | Sr. | Forward | 6’5/215 | 13.6 | 6.4 | 13 | 10 |
| 24 Gibson Jimerson | Jr. | Guard | 6’5/215 | 16.1 | 2.9 | 7 | 3 |
2023-24 SLU Billikens Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Gametime | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Massachusetts | Chaifetz Arena | Bally Sports Midwest | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 30, 2024 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. (Gentile Arena) | Bally Sports Midwest | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 3, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Home | Fordham | Chaifetz Arena | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 7, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:30 pm | Away | La Salle | Philadelphia, Pa. (Gola Arena) | Bally Sports Midwest | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 10, 2024 (Saturday) | 11:30 am | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. (Hagan Arena) | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 16, 2024 (Friday) | 6 pm | Home | VCU | Chaifetz Arena | ESPN2 | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 20, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Duquesne | Pittsburgh, Pa. (UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse) | Bally Sports Midwest | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 24, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | George Washington | Chaifetz Arena | Bally Sports Midwest | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 28, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Richmond | Chaifetz Arena | Bally Sports Midwest | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 2, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | Rhode Island | Kingston, R.I. (Ryan Center) | CBSSN | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 5, 2024 (Tuesday) | 8 pm | Home | Dayton | Chaifetz Arena | CBSSN | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 9, 2024 (Saturday) | 11:30 am | Away | St. Bonaventure | St. Bonaventure, N.Y. (Reilly Center) | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 12-17 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament | TBA | Neutral | TBA | Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclay’s Center) |