ST. LOUIS – Gibson Jimerson scored a game-high 26 points, Kobe Johnson matched his career high of 19 points, and Saint Louis knocked off Atlantic 10 Conference co-leader VCU 78-69 Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena.
 
The Billikens improved to 13-8 overall and 6-2 in the A-10. They are tied with VCU – which came in with six straight wins after dropping its conference opener – for second place in the league, one-half game behind 6-1 George Mason.
 
Robbie Avila had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Isaiah Swope added 10 points and four assists for Saint Louis, which set season highs for free throws made and attempted in going 30-of-39 from the stripe.
 
Kalu Anya grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and equaled his season high with a game-high five assists. Dylan Warlick contributed seven points.
 
The Bills held VCU to 32.8 percent from the field, the Rams' worst shooting performance of the season. VCU was 5-of-31 from 3-point range.
 
After being outrebounded 23-14 in the first half, SLU turned the tables with a 23-13 advantage on the glass in the second half for a 37-36 edge.
 
VCU used a 7-0 run to go in front 51-49 with 9:02 remaining, but it proved to be the Rams' final lead of the game.
 
Jimerson's three-point play just 13 seconds later provided the game's 13th lead change and fueled a 20-8 spurt that gave the Billikens their largest cushion, 69-59, with 1:26 left. Six different players scored during the run.
 
VCU drew to within six points twice, the second time 71-65 with 49 seconds to play. But two free throws apiece from Jimerson and Swope on SLU's next two possessions pushed the margin back to 10 and secured a Billiken victory that snapped VCU's six-game series winning streak.
 
The first half featured 10 lead changes, and neither team led by more than four points. VCU carried a 31-28 edge to the locker room at halftime.
 
The Rams held a 40-35 lead with 15:29 left when the Billikens embarked on a 14-4 run that resulted in their own five-point advantage, 49-44. Avila sparked the run with a bucket and three-point play on consecutive possessions and later added two free throws, Warlick sank four from the line and Johnson connected from beyond the arc.
 
The Billikens host Dayton Friday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.