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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Saint Louis used stingy defense in the final seconds to secure a 78-77 win over Duquesne in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Championship at Boardwalk Hall tonight. The Billikens (19-12) used 70.8 percent shooting and defensive pressure that generated key stops in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit. Senior center Ian Vouyoukas dominated the post with 19 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Kevin Lisch netted 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and came up with the final steal before Reggie Jackson could get a shot off in the final six seconds.

The Dukes pushed their lead to a game-high nine points early in the second half as Gary Tucker sank a 3-pointer with 18:34 on the clock. The Billikens went on a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to surge into the lead. Lisch and Luke Meyer alternated baskets in building the run. Lisch opened with a layup in traffic, and, after Meyer rolled one in on the break, hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the Duquesne lead to 50-48. The Dukes' Scott Grote hit one of two free throws to push the lead back to three. Meyer sank a baseline jumper from 10 feet for a 50-51 differential, and Vouyoukas put the Bills on top with a jump hook from the left side after the Dukes misfired on an alley-oop.

Grote hit a free throw and added a layup on the next to possessions to give the Dukes a 54-52 lead with 14:09 remaining. Tommie Liddell erased it with a jumper from the left baseline. Lisch opened a three-point margin with a long-range shot from the right wing off a feed from Bryce Husak in the post. Liddell added five of the next seven points over 75 seconds as the SLU defense forced three straight Duquesne turnovers and turned them quickly into offense.

With the Billikens up by seven at the 10:33 mark, the Dukes started sinking shots but could not stop the Billikens on the other end. After Robert Mitchell narrowed the Billiken lead to three with a jumper at 9:03, Dwayne Polk drained a three from the top of the key just two seconds later. Lisch added a transition jumper for a 71-63 margin with 8:13 on the clock.

The Dukes called a timeout and set up their defensive pressure, which resulted in a pair of Billiken turnovers and a quick erasure of SLU's eight-point lead. Mitchell knotted the game 71-71 with a transition layup with 6:23 remaining. Meyer hit a floater in the lane to regain the lead, and, after Mitchell missed a pair of free throws, Vouyoukas added a jumper and a free throw for a 76-71 margin with 3:33 left. Grote hit a layup, and, following Kieron Achara's steal on the Billikens' next possession, Tucker completed a traditional three-point play to tie the game for the ninth time.

Liddell drove to the right side of the lane and hit a jumper in traffic for a 78-76 SLU lead at the two-minute mark. Jackson misfired on a 3-pointer, and Liddell reeled in the rebound. After the Dukes forced the Billikens to call two timeouts with hard trapping, Liddell's 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down fell short with under a minute left, setting up Duquesne for a tying or winning basket.

The Billiken defense again rose to the challenge as Meyer stripped Jackson in the lane, and Vouyoukas gathered in the loose ball. The Dukes fouled the Billikens' center, but he missed the front end of the one-and-one with 28 seconds left. The Dukes lookd to drive the lane again, only to find Meyer and Vouyoukas with active hands in the post smack the ball away. Mitchell could not connect on a floater in the lane, but Grote grabbed the rebound and was fouled with seven ticks left.

The Dukes' forward hit the first to cut the lead to 78-77 but missed the second with Vouyoukas winning the rebound battle. Duquesne fouled him, and, after icing him with a full timeout, saw the senior misfire on the front end of the one-and-one again. The Dukes pulled down the uncontested rebound and called their final timeout with 6.5 seconds on the clock. Jackson faced Lisch at the top of the key in the final play, and the Billikens' All-Defensive Team selection reached in for the steal just as time expired.

Four Billikens finished in double-figure points as Meyer and Liddell joined Vouyoukas and Lisch with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Meyer was a sizzling 7-of-8 from the field. Lisch tied his career high with seven assists. SLU hit 60.8 percent from the field in the game, while the Dukes posted a .406 field goal percentage, including 10 3-pointers. Five Dukes reached double-figure points, led by Grote and Achara, who netted 14 apiece. Achara posted a double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Billikens face league co-champion Massachusetts in the quarterfinals on Thu., March 8, at 5:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised live in St. Louis on CW11/KPLR.