RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – Saint Louis received a team-high 19 points from Gibson Jimerson, and Jordan Nesbitt scored all 14 of his points in the second half as the Billikens defeated Illinois State 82-76 Tuesday night at the 2021 Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel.
 
The Billikens advance to Wednesday's title game, where they will face Stephen F. Austin at 7:30 p.m. (CT). SFA beat Buffalo 79-78 on Tuesday.
 
SLU moves to 5-1 with the victory, while Illinois State falls to 2-3.
 
Jimerson hit three treys and was a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe to account for his 19 points. Nesbitt, who took just one shot in the first half, went 5-6 from the field in the second half to get the Billikens over the hump.
 
Terrence Hargrove Jr. (13 points on 6-7 shooting) and Marten Linssen (10 points) also scored in double figures. Francis Okoro pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, while Yuri Collins dished out eight assists.
 
DeAndre Jones scored six points for SLU, which included a four-point play in the first half.
 
Illinois State took the lead in the second half at 54-52, but Fred Thatch Jr. responded with a traditional 3-point play to put the Billikens back on top.
 
The Redbirds tied it at 60-all with a little more than seven minutes remaining before Saint Louis went on a game-deciding 11-0 run. Linssen and Jimerson made their free throws, and Collins contributed with a pull-up jumper. Nesbitt capped the rally with a three ball to give SLU a 71-60 lead, and Illinois State never threatened after that.
 
A win on Wednesday in the Cancun Challenge title game would give the Billikens their first in-season tournament title since Rick Majerus' Billikens won the 2011 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif.