SLU’s Kellen Thames (0) tries to reach the rim, while two defenders try to stop him in Wednesday’s NCAA men’s basketball game against St. Bonaventure at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Bonaventure (14-2, 2-1) | 28 | 40 | 68 |
| SLU (10-6, 3-0) | 34 | 39 | 73 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — Gibson Jimerson scored 28 points, including six three-pointers and four clutch free throws in the final seconds, to lead the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team to a 73-68 win over visiting St. Bonaventure, Wednesday night in an Atlantic 10 Conference game at Chaifetz Arena.
The win was Saint Louis’ fourth straight and lifted the teams overall record to 10-6 on the season. SLU is also now 3-0 and sole possessors of first place in Atlantic 10 play.
St. Bonaventure, which began the season on a remarkable start, fell to 14-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
Jimerson’s 9-of-15 shooting night included 6-of-11 from 3-point range. It was his seventh outing with 20 or more points this season. He was 4-of-4 from the foul line and added six rebounds.
Isaiah Swope tossed in 16 points and Robbie Avila netted 14 for the Billikens, whose 13 3-pointers (13-of-33, 39.4 percent) were their second most this season. SLU’s ratio of 3-pointers to total field goals (13 of 25, 52 percent) was its highest of the year.
Avila led the rebounding effort with nine, posted a game- and career-high three blocks, and tied Kobe Johnson (season high) for team-high honors with five assists. Kellen Thames collected five boards and seven points in just 14 minutes of action, while Dylan Warlick chipped in a career-high three assists.
Both teams began the game red-hot shooting from the floor. St. Bonaventure made seven of its first eight shots and SLU made six of its first nine, including five three-pointers.
The Bonnies led for most of the first half, but the Billikens took control in the final five minutes before halftime, when they went on a 15-2 run to take a 34-28 lead into the break.
In the second half, Saint Louis went on a 15-5 run midway through to push its lead to as many as 16 points (63-47), before St. Bonaventure responded with a 13-1 run of its own to pull within four points (66-62) with a minute to go.
The Bonnies had all the momentum at that moment, but SLU’s Avila came through with a brilliant play, where he converted a sprawling layup while being fouled, which led to a three-point play that put the Billikens back up by seven.
St. Bonaventure answered and kept the game tight with a three-point play of its own and a traditional three-point jumper in the final seconds, but Jimerson kept the Bonnies at bay by making four clutch free throws in the final 21 seconds to put the game away.
Overall, SLU finished the night shooting 49 percent from the floor, having made 25 of the 51 shots it attempted, included 13 three-pointers, that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Billikens will enjoy nearly a full week off, before they get back on the floor with a game on the road, next Tuesday, January 14, against VCU (12-4, 2-1).
That matchup is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m., and will be televised locally on the FanDuel Sports Network.
SLU’s next home game will be January 22, when the Billikens will host La Salle (8-7, 0-2) at Chaifetz Arena.
St. Bonaventure 68
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Moore,Chance | * | 40 | 7-16 | 2-5 | 7-9 | 5-5 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| 24 | Brown,Noel | * | 36 | 8-11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-5 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| 10 | Jones,Lajae | * | 37 | 3-14 | 2-7 | 4-4 | 0-6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 11 | Council Jr.,Melvin | * | 40 | 5-13 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 08 | Hinton,Jonah | * | 32 | 2-8 | 0-3 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 21 | Wedlow,Xander | 3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 23 | Bolanga,Noah | 9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 01 | Thompson,Duane | 3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 26-64 | 4-17 | 12-14 | 14-24 | 38 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 68 |
SLU 73
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Jimerson, Gibson | * | 40 | 9-15 | 6-11 | 4-4 | 0-6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 01 | Swope, Isaiah | * | 39 | 5-13 | 3-10 | 3-4 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| 21 | Avila, Robbie | * | 37 | 5-9 | 1-5 | 3-3 | 0-9 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| 08 | Johnson, Kobe | * | 36 | 2-5 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 06 | Anya, Kalu | * | 11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 00 | Thames, Kellen | 13 | 3-6 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 1-4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
| 33 | Warlick, Dylan | 16 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 04 | McCottry, Amari | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Brockhoff, Kilian | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 25-51 | 13-33 | 10-13 | 3-25 | 28 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 73 |
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) | L73-72 (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) | FanDuel Sports Network  |
| 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) |