Saint Louis erased a nine-point deficit to take a lead in the fourth quarter, but Rhode Island stormed back to escape with a 72-63 victory Wednesday night in Kingston, R.I.
Ciaja Harbison led the Billikens (14-10, 6-5 A-10) with her second consecutive 20-point game, also adding two rebounds and two assists, while Rachel Kent collected 15 points, along with five rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Brooke Flowers grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, in addition to tallying four points and three blocks.
Julia Martinez dished out a team-best four assists in 24 minutes off the bench, along with four points, three steals and two rebounds.
Erin Jones led Rhode Island (12-11, 5-6 A-10) with 19 points, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Nicole Jorgensen collected a double-double, recording 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Davida Dale tallied a game-best seven assists.
After facing a 4-0 deficit to begin the game, Saint Louis outscored Rhode Island 14-7 in the remainder of the first quarter to hold a 14-11 lead. Myriama Smith Traore collected the final four points of the period, capping a 6-0 run for the Billikens.
Harbison recorded SLU's first six points of the second, putting the Billikens up 20-14. A 9-0 run for Rhode Island gave the advantage back to the Rams at 23-20. Jaidah Stewart and Kent alternated buckets for Saint Louis, bringing SLU back within one at 30-29. The Rams scored the final two field goals of the half and took a 34-30 lead into the locker room.
Rhode Island held a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, but a Martinez jumper with five seconds left brought the Billikens back within seven at 52-45 at the end of the third.
A 9-2 run to begin the fourth tied the game for Saint Louis, and then Kent's second 3-pointer of the contest gave the Billikens a 57-56 advantage. The Rams responded with a 12-2 run of their own to regain control. Rhode Island was able to hang on and take a 72-63 victory.
Saint Louis returns home Sunday, Feb. 16, for a 2 p.m. tip off against UMass. The game will be streamed to ESPN+.