RICHMOND, Va. - Despite career highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds from Saint Louis freshman forward Dwayne Evans, the Billikens dropped a 64-52 decision at Richmond Saturday afternoon in Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball action at the Robins Center.
Evans' 21 points came on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor and 3-of-4 from the line. That scoring total eclipsed his previous best of 16 points scored against Saint Joseph's. Also, Evans' 15 boards (six offensive, nine defensive) betters his previous of 14 also posted against St. Joe's. It was Evans' third double-double of the season.
Freshman guard Mike McCall chipped in seven points for the Billikens, who fall to 8-16 overall and 3-8 in A-10 play. Richmond, who was led in scoring by Justin Harper, scored 22 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double.
The Billikens trailed by three at the break, 26-23. McCall buried a trey with 14:32 to go to put SLU on top 9-7, but the Spiders responded with a 6-0 run to pull ahead 13-9.
A Christian Salecich pulled the Billikens within two at 17-15 with 6:25 left before Richmond scored the next five points to go on top 22-15.
The teams traded baskets the rest of the half, allowing Richmond to head into the lockerroom with a 26-23 lead.
Richmond stretched its advantage to 34-26 early in the second half before McCall layed one in on an inbounds pass from Brian Conklin . Later, Evans and Jordair Jett made consecutive baskets to trim the Billikens' deficit to just four at 38-34 with 13:03 left.
A trey by Richmond's Justin Harper gave Richmond its biggest lead of the game, 51-38, with 9:04 left. But the Billikens responded with an 8-0 run to pull the Billikens within five with under five minutes remaining. McCall sparked the rally by draining a pair of free throws, and Evans and Conklin converted a pair of baskets as the Bills trimmed their deficit to seven. An Evans jumper with 5:17 left made it 51-46, and another basket with 4:32 left kept the Bills within five at 4:32.
Conklin hit a jumper with 2:34 left to make it 56-52 Richmond, but that is as close to the lead that the Billikens would get as they fell by a 64-52 final.
SLU faces St. Bonaventure Wednesday, Feb. 16, in Olean, N.Y. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. (CT).
