SETTING THE SCENE

• Saint Louis welcomes the Loyola Marymount University Lions to Chaifetz Arena on Saturday night. Game time is 7 p.m.
• SLU is in a stretch where the Billikens are playing five of six at Chaifetz Arena. 
• Saturday's game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network. Tom Ackerman and Troy Robertson will call the action.
• KMOX 1120 AM is the home for Billiken Basketball on the radio. Billiken Hall of Famers and longtime SLU men's basketball radio partners Bob Ramsey and Earl Austin Jr. will the call the action for all SLU games, both at home and on the road. Ramsey is in his 39th season calling SLU games, while Austin is in year No. 34. 

BILLIKEN NOTABLES

• The Billikens are coming off their first win of the Josh Schertz era, a 95-44 triumph over Avila University last Sunday.
• Gibson Jimerson led the Billikens with 28 points against Avila. He enters Saturday's game fifth all-time in scoring at SLU with 1,869 career points. With 12 points on Saturday, he would surpass Monroe Douglass (1,877) and Roland Gray (1,880)  for third on the scoring chart, leaving just Erwin Claggett (1,910) and all-time leading scorer Anthony Bonner (1,972) left to catch.
• Kellen Thames has recorded a career-high 16 points in each of the Bills' first two games to start the year. He is shooting 65 percent (13-20) from the floor. Thames recorded a career-high four steals against Avila.
• Kalu Anya leads the Billikens in rebounding with 9.5 per game, including 11 against Santa Clara.
• Larry Hughes II sank a career-high five 3-pointers en route to 15 points in the win over Avila.
• Amari McCottry had an impressive stat line against Avila, scoring five points with five rebounds, four steals and a team-leading six assists.
• Head coach Josh Schertz is in his first season at SLU. His .786 winning percentage ranks No. 8 among active coaches across all three NCAA divisions.

ABOUT THE LIONS

• Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, Calif.) plays in the West Coast Conference (WCC). The Lions enter Saturday's game with a 1-1 overall record.
• LMU opened the season with a 99-56 win over Life Pacific University (NAIA). The Lions are coming off a 66-51 loss at home to UC Irvine.   
• LMU junior forward Jevon Porter, the brother of the Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr., recorded a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds against UC Irvine. Porter played his first two seasons of college ball at Pepperdine for Lorenzo Romar. Porter averaged 16.2 points last year and was an All-Freshman team selection in 2022-23 after averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.
• Myron Amey Jr. scores 12.0 ppg for LMU, while Alex Merkviladze turns in 11.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
• LMU has size, as 10 players are listed at 6-6 or taller. KenPom ranks the Lions No. 11 in the nation in average height.
• The Lions went 12-19 last season. Head coach Stan Johnson is in his fourth season at LMU. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Saint Louis and LMU are meeting for the third time. The teams played a home-and-home in 2011 and 2012, with each team winning on its home court.
• In the first meeting on Nov. 29, 2011, the Lions defeated the Billikens 75-68 at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles. SLU had just entered the top 25, garnering the No. 23 spot after winning the 76 Classic in Anaheim the week prior.
• In the return game Dec. 22, 2012, the Bills won 65-44 at Chaifetz Arena. That win was part of a nine-game winning streak during the Billikens' 2013 A-10 Championship season. 

ROMAR RETURNS

• Former Billiken head coach Lorenzo Romar is in his first season as an assistant coach at LMU.
• Romar served as the Billikens' head coach for three seasons from 1999-02. He was 51-44 during his tenure at SLU.
• This season marks the 25th anniversary of the "Miracle in Memphis." The Romar-led Billikens reeled off four wins in four days as the Bills were crowned Conference USA champs at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn. SLU knocked off No. 1 Cincinnati along the way to the title.
• Romar's 27-year career-coaching record stands at 467-397.
• This is not the first time Romar has returned to coach against SLU at Chaifetz Arena. He brought his Washington team here in 2011-12. The Billikens won that game 77-64.