ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis battled hard but fell to UMass 72-55 on Thursday night at Chaifetz Arena.

The Billikens were behind 28-14 after the first quarter, with UMass dominating the boards 15-5. SLU struggled offensively in the second, going into halftime down by 20.

However, Saint Louis came alive in the third, outscoring UMass 23-7 to close the gap to just four. They pulled within one in the fourth, but the Minutewomen responded with a 12-2 run to seal the win.

Shun'teria Anumele led the Billikens with 16 points and a career-high four steals, while Peyton Kennedy contributed 11 points, marking her 65th game in double figures.

Tierra Simon made a significant impact on the glass, grabbing 12 rebounds, her ninth double-digit rebound performance of the season, matching her total from last year.

The Billikens will look to bounce back when they return to Chaifetz Arena on Sunday at 11 a.m. to face Davidson.