SLU newcomer Isaiah Swope scored 30 points in the Billikens’ win over Quinnipiac, Monday night at Chaifetz Arena. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac (3-4) | 36 | 31 | 67 |
| Saint Louis (3-2) | 37 | 44 | 81 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — Saint Louis University men’s basketball newcomer Isaiah Swope tied his career high of 30 points, which included five made three-pointers, to lead the Billikens to an 81-67 win over Quinnipiac in a non-conference NCAA game, Monday night at Chaifetz Arena.
Swope scored 18 of those points in the second half, including a pair of two-point jumpers and a three-pointer during a 13-2 Saint Louis run that helped the Billikens turn a one-point lead into a 12-point edge that the home club held for the rest of the game.
Quinnipiac, the team picked to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this season, did pull to within six points on two different occasions in the final four minutes, but Swope hit a three both times to put SLU back up seven. He also made four free throws in the final 48 seconds that helped the Billikens end the night with a 14-point victory.
SLU’s Gibson Jimerson goes for a layup over Quinnipiac’s Alexis Reyes in Monday’s NCAA men’s basketball game at Chaifetz Arena. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Three other Saint Louis players scored in double figures, including Gibson Jimerson, who had 16 points and passed Erwin Claggett for second place on the SLU all-time scoring list. Kalu Anya posted a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, and big man Robbie Avila returned from injury to score 14 points and grab six rebounds.
SLU is now 3-2 on the season and undefeated at home, with wins over Avila University and Loyola-Marymount also this year. Quinninpiac is 3-4, with losses in its last two games.
The visiting Bobcats led for most of the first half, when the score was tied four times and the lead changed hands seven different times. Saint Louis grabbed a 38-37 lead just before halftime when Swope hit a three with two seconds remaining.
The teams traded the lead in the early minutes of the second half, before SLU grabbed the lead for good with a free throw by Anya and a pair of free throws by Jimerson that put the Billikens up 47-46 with 15:56 to go.
The Bobcats stayed within one point until the Billikens took firm control of the game with a number of jumpers and fastbreak layups that made the score 63-51 with nine minutes left.
From that point on, SLU just didn’t let Quinnipiac have any easy shots or scoring chances and pulled down every necessary rebound to make sure it went home with a win.
SLU’s Robbie Avila scored 14 points in his return to action, Monday night against Quinnipiac. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Saint Louis will make a quick turnaround to get back in action on Wednesday, when it hosts UMass-Lowell. Tip off at Chaifetz Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
Quinnipiac 67
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Otieno,Paul | * | 33 | 7-13 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 5-5 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| 04 | Bennett,Khaden | * | 16 | 4-7 | 2-4 | 4-4 | 1-4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 24 | Zimmerman,Jaden | * | 26 | 3-7 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 07 | Mabrey,Ryan | * | 20 | 1-8 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 1-3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 02 | Monroe,Amarri | * | 25 | 2-11 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 1-7 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 05 | Young,Doug | 21 | 3-12 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 08 | Randall,Grant | 22 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 1-6 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 00 | Reyes,Alexis | 31 | 2-9 | 0-3 | 1-1 | 1-7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| 12 | Wewe,Spencer | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 24-70 | 7-30 | 12-17 | 12-36 | 48 | 22 | 6 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 67 |
SLU 81
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Swope, Isaiah | * | 40 | 9-21 | 5-11 | 7-9 | 0-4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 30 |
| 24 | Jimerson, Gibson | * | 33 | 5-10 | 2-6 | 4-4 | 0-4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 21 | Avila, Robbie | * | 30 | 4-12 | 2-6 | 4-8 | 0-6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 06 | Anya, Kalu | * | 32 | 5-10 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 2-16 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| 00 | Thames, Kellen | * | 19 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 4-4 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 04 | McCottry, Amari | 16 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| 08 | Johnson, Kobe | 19 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 02 | Hughes II, Larry | 11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 25-60 | 10-28 | 21-29 | 5-37 | 42 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 81 |
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 |  |
| 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) |