ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University (5-8) kicks off its Atlantic 10 Conference schedule Saturday evening when the Billikens host Rhode Island at Chaifetz Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
 
Game Information

• Saturday's game against the Rams will be streamed on ESPN+.
•  Please note Chaifetz Arena's Clear Bag Policy, which can be found here.
• Live stats can be found here. 

The Opening Tip… 

• Saint Louis women's basketball will be back in action Saturday night beginning its Atlantic 10 Conference Slate hosting Rhode Island at 7 p.m.
• The Billikens are coming off a three-game road stand which saw them fall to 5-8 on the season and 0-4 in true road games.
• Most recently, SLU dropped an 87-81 battle at Illinois State on Dec. 19.
• The Billikens hold the all-time series advantage with the Rams, with a 13-7 overall record. 
• The teams last met in the semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Championship which saw SLU muscle out a 59-56 win to advance to the finals. The teams' regular-season meetup ended in a 65-76 loss for SLU.
• The Billikens rank 47th in the Nation in free throw percentage. Through 13 games, the team is shooting 76.7 percent with 266 attempts at the charity stripe.
• Rhode Island enters Saturday's contest with a 8-5 overall record. 
• Kyla McMakin ranks third among all active Division I players in career points with 2,449.
• After recording nine assists against Illinois State, Julia Martinez sits third all-time in career assists with 410. 
• Peyton Kennedy went 12-12 from the floor in the Bilikens win over UIC on Nov. 26, eclipsing SLU's record for a perfect game in both the women's and men's programs.

Rankings

• The Billikens rank 47th in the Nation in free throw percentage. Through 13 games, the team is shooting 76.7 percent with 266 attempts at the charity stripe.
• Through 13 games the Billikens boast a Top-75 scoring offense. SLU ranks 75th in the NCAA in the category, averaging 74.8 points per game, a number which ranks third in the Atlantic 10. Richmond leads the conference in the category putting up an average of 76.4 points per outing.
• The Billikens' 42.5 percent shooting from the floor ranks fourth in the A-10 and 110th in the NCAA.
• Brooklyn Gray leads the A-10 in made free throws, with 54 through 13 games. Kyla McMakin ranks third in the category with 47 makes from the charity stripe.
• Kyla McMakin's 216 total points ranks second in the conference and 46th in the NCAA.
• Tierra Simon's 99 rebounds rank fourth in the A-10 while her rebounds per game (7.6) rank sixth.
• Kennedy Calhoun's 53 assists are good for fourth in the A-10 while Julia Martinez's 51 rank fifth.

Scouting the Rams

• The Billikens hold the all-time series advantage with the Rams, with a 13-7 record. 
• The teams last met in the semifinal of the Atlantic 10 Championship which saw SLU muscle out a 59-56 win to advance to the finals. The teams' regular-season meetup ended in a 65-76 loss for SLU.
• Rhode Island enters Saturday's contest with a 8-5 overall record. 
• The Rams are coming off a 59-56 win over Harvard on Thursday, Dec. 28.
• Rhode Island has faced off against two top-25 opponents this season, falling to No. 14 NC State, 67-58, on Nov. 19, and defeating #25 Princeton, 60-58, on Dec. 3.
• The Rams average 64.5 points per game while holding their opponents to 54.0 points per game.
• Through 13 games, the Rams have shot 28 percent from behind the arc, with 64 made three pointers.
• Rhode Island is under the direction of head coach Tammi Reiss. She holds an overall record of 80-43 at the helm of the Rams dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season. 

Up Next
The Billikens will hit the road again for a two-game road stand at Loyola Chicago and UMass, Jan. 3 and Jan. 6.