ST. LOUIS - Christian Salecich posted career scoring highs, and Willie Reed tied his career rebounding best, to lead Saint Louis to a 76-66 victory over Kennesaw State Sunday afternoon at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens, playing their first game of the Chicago Invitational Challenge, improved to 3-0. Kennesaw State slipped to 2-1.
Cassity registered a game-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Salecich, whose 5-of-10 shooting mark included a 3-of-7 effort from beyond the arc, finished with 15 points and tied teammate Kwamain Mitchell for game-high honors with six assists. Mitchell collected a game-high three steals.
Brian Conklin tallied 11 points, and Reed narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds while adding five blocks. Jon-Michael Nickerson paced Kennesaw State with 17 points, Markeith Cummings scored 14 and Spencer Dixon chipped in 10. Nickerson and Cummings grabbed six rebounds apiece.
Three-point shooting was the difference. Kennesaw State shot a respectable 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from long range, but SLU was a sizzling 50 percent (10-of-20) from beyond the arc. In addition to Cassity and Salecich, Justin Jordan was 2-of-4.
The Billikens scored on their first five possessions and eight of their first 10 to build a 19-7 cushion just 5 ½ minutes into the game. Cassity collected two baskets, Salecich and Mitchell had a bucket apiece and Salecich sank two free throws to stake SLU to a 10-2 lead. Mitchell's conventional 3-point play was followed by treys from Jordan and Cassity.
Saint Louis stretched the margin to 24-10 on a Femi John basket and Conklin's 3-point play, but the Owls crept back to within three, 25-22, with a 12-1 run that included nine of Nickerson's 14 first-half points. Salecich broke a long Billiken drought with an offensive rebound and driving layup, but Cummings responded with a basket that made it 27-24 SLU. Reed took a nifty pass from Salecich to extend the margin to 29-24.
Both teams suffered a drought before John's floater in the lane put the Billikens on top 31-24. Kennesaw State responded with Matt Heramb's jumper at the foul line that just beat the shot clock and Cummings' dunk off a SLU turnover, narrowing the Bills' lead to 31-28 at the break.
SLU quickly regained control following intermission, holding Kennesaw State scoreless on four straight possessions while scoring on seven of its first eight touches. Two Salecich triples from the right wing sandwiched Conklin's eight-foot baseline jumper, and Cassity buried a trey from the top of the key following an offensive rebound for a 42-28 Billiken advantage at the 17:12 mark.
Treys by Cummings and Kelvin McConnell cut the SLU lead to single digits again, 43-34, before Jordan canned a 3-pointer for a 46-34 Billiken edge. The Owls continued to creep closer, however, as Heramb's eight-footer in the lane and a McConnell 3-pointer that rattled around before dropping made it a 46-39 contest.
Cory Remekun's layup on a feed from a driving Jordan restored a bit of order for SLU, but the Bills tallied just two points on their next seven possessions. Meanwhile, Kennesaw State used a Cummings free throw, a Heramb layup and a Kurtis Woods trifecta to trim the Saint Louis lead to 50-45.
After the Owls failed to capitalize on a Billiken backcourt turnover, Salecich and Cassity drained 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to re-establish SLU's double-digit margin at 56-45. Dixon's basket and a Cummings free throw followed but were negated by John's trey that put the Bills in front 59-48.
Kennesaw State wouldn't go away, however. The Owls assembled a 12-5 run, featuring scoring from five different players, that made it a 64-60 game. But the Billikens regained command with a Conklin free throw, consecutive fast-break layups from Mitchell and Cassity and Reed's dunk for a 71-62 advantage. Following a bucket by Dixon, Conklin's conventional 3-point play gave SLU a 74-64 lead and secured the victory.
The Billikens continue play in the Chicago Invitational Challenge Tuesday, Nov. 24, hosting Mississippi Valley State. Tip time at Chaifetz Arena is 7 p.m.
