The Billikens, who have won six of their last eight, improved to 11-15 overall and 6-7 in the A-10. Rhode Island (7-20, 2-12) suffered a fourth consecutive defeat.

Nelson, who tied her career high for 3-point field goals with a 4-of-6 effort from beyond the arc, scored 16 points. Womack posted her fifth double-double and seventh double-digit rebound total of the season with a 15-point, 15-rebound performance. She tied her career high for total rebounds and grabbed a career-high six offensive boards.

Olivia Jakubicek and Desirae Ball tallied nine points apiece for SLU, which committed just 10 turnovers. The Billikens have suffered 12 or fewer turnovers in four straight and six of their last eight outings.

Rhode Island's Samantha Tabakman scored a game-high 17 points and collected eight rebounds. Sydney Lewis had nine points and nine rebounds, Teneka Whittaker netted nine points, Kerry Wallack gathered eight boards and Symone Bullard recorded a game-high five assists.

The difference in the game was 3-point shooting. Saint Louis connected six times from distance, while Rhode Island was held without a trey.

Rhode Island scored the first six points of the second half to forge a 31-31 tie. Nelson drained a 3-pointer and followed with a layup to put Saint Louis back on top 36-31.

The Billiken lead was narrowed to one on two occasions before the Rams tied it at 38 on a Tati Johnson free throw with 11:56 remaining. Nelson responded immediately with another trey that gave SLU the lead for good, and Jamesia Price connected from deep for a 44-38 Billiken edge.

Saint Louis twice led by nine in the second half, the second time a 51-42 cushion with 7:01 to play. Rhode Island whittled away, however, and trailed 55-52 when Tabakman made a layup with 1:26 left.

Ball and Jakubicek came up with crucial offensive rebounds on the Bills' next possession, and Jakubicek hit a free throw for a 56-52 lead with 21 seconds to play. Bullard's free throw with 14 seconds left made it a one-possession game again.

Womack rebounded the miss on Bullard's second attempt from the line, was fouled and sank one of two from the stripe to provide the final margin.

Saint Louis tallied the first seven points of the game and kept URI off the scoreboard until the 15:06 mark. A Nelson triple gave the Billikens their largest first-half lead, 17-8, with 8:47 remaining.

Rhode Island used a 7-0 run to shrink the Saint Louis lead to 17-15. But Sadie Stipanovich's layup and a Ball 3-pointer put the Bills up by seven less than a minute later, and SLU took a 31-25 lead to the locker room.