Photo Gallery 
ST. LOUIS - Willie Reed registered his first career double-double Saturday night to lead the Saint Louis Billikens to a 59-41 season-opening victory over Southeast Missouri State at Chaifetz Arena.
Reed, who was 6-of-8 from the field, tied for game-high scoring honors with 15 points and added a game- and career-high 12 rebounds. He also had three blocks. Brian Conklin (5-of-7 FG) tallied 15 points and eight rebounds, including six offensive boards, and Kwamain Mitchell added 13 points for the Bills, who improved to 3-0 in season openers under head coach Rick Majerus.
Anthony Allison and Derek Thompson scored 10 points apiece for Southeast Missouri State, playing its first game under new head coach Dickey Nutt. Thompson collected a team-high seven rebounds.
Saint Louis shot a modest 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the field but limited SEMO to 27.5 percent (14-of-51), including 1-of-11 from beyond the arc. Led by Reed and Conklin, the Billikens earned a 44-31 advantage on the glass.
The Billikens got out of the gate quickly, scoring on three of their first four possessions. Reed's tip-in and Mitchell's 18-foot jumper from the left wing gave SLU a 4-0 lead, and Conklin's driving layup, the first of his 11 first-half points, made it 6-0. Eric McCrary's layup gave SEMO its first points before Conklin's conventional 3-point play made it 9-2.
A pull-up jumper by Allison cut the SLU lead to 9-4, and Conklin answered with an offensive rebound and short bank shot. Sam Pearson sank a 19-footer, only to see Conklin respond with a tough layup for a 13-6 Billiken margin.
Reed's jump hook broke a long scoring drought for both teams and gave the Bills a 15-6 advantage. The teams traded baskets for the next several minutes before Justin Jordan's 3-pointer from the top of the key resulted in SLU's first double-digit cushion, 22-12.
SEMO scored on its next two possessions. Thompson buried a 15-footer, and KaJuan Watson hit a baseline jumper, was fouled and completed the 3-point play to slice the Saint Louis lead in half, 22-17. Conklin swished two free throws to slow the run, and Reed's thunderous dunk off a nifty pass from Jordan put the Bills on top 26-17.
The Redhawks inched closer with a free throw and a transition layup off a Billiken turnover. However, Saint Louis restored its double-digit lead on one possession. Jordan netted a long trey from the right wing, and Cory Remekun was fouled as the ball was in flight. Remekun made the second of two free throws, and the Bills took the 30-20 advantage to the locker room.
Saint Louis began the second half the way it did the opening stanza, scoring on its first three touches. Mitchell hit a baseline jumper, Conklin put in a short banker and Reed - following two SLU misses and offensive rebounds - drove the baseline for a reverse dunk to put the Billikens in front 36-20.
Southeast Missouri didn't fold. The Redhawks scored the next eight points on Allison's conventional 3-point play, two free throws by Cameron Butler and Allison's trifecta from the left baseline, and suddenly it was 36-28. But Mitchell sank a 3-pointer and turned a SEMO turnover into a transition layup, giving SLU a 41-28 edge.
Turnovers and missed free throws began plaguing the Billikens, however, allowing SEMO to assemble an 8-0 run that drew the Redhawks to within five at 41-36. Saint Louis regained command with an 8-0 spurt of its own comprised of a Conklin free throw, Kyle Cassity's three-ball from the left wing, a Reed free throw and Reed's conventional 3-point play. On the play, Mitchell found Reed streaking down the baseline and provided a perfect feed for a dunk.
Pearson's 3-point play temporarily slowed the SLU charge, but the Bills put the game away on its next two possessions with a pair of Christian Salecich free throws and a bucket by Reed for a 53-39 lead. Saint Louis went on to end the game on an 18-5 run.
The Billikens are back in action Wednesday, Nov. 18, when they welcome Nebraska to Chaifetz Arena for a 7 p.m. tip.
