ST. LOUIS – Powered by a record-setting 3-point shooting performance, Saint Louis dismantled Loyola Chicago 98-67 Saturday afternoon in front of 8,084 fans at Chaifetz Arena.
 
The Billikens' (17-12, 10-6 A-10) third straight victory lifted them into a third-place tie with Dayton, Loyola Chicago and Saint Joseph's in the A-10 standings with two games remaining. The top four teams at season's end receive a double bye in the A-10 Championship.
 
Saint Louis connected on a school-record 18 3-pointers – tying this year's high by an A-10 team – and shot 52.9 percent (18-of-34) from beyond the arc, its best mark in a conference game this season.
 
Gibson Jimerson led the way, draining a school-record nine treys (9-of-17) on his way to a game-high and career-high-tying 33 points. The nine 3-pointers are the most by an A-10 player this season.
 
All 17 of Jimerson's field goal attempts were from 3-point distance. He equaled his season high of six free throws made (6-of-6).
 
Robbie Avila matched his season high of 28 points. Avila was 6-of-9 overall and 3-of-3 from deep, and his 13 free throws made and 15 free throw attempts set career highs. He tied Isaiah Swope (12 points) for game-high rebounding honors with seven (Swope's season high) and collected a game-high five assists.
 
Amari McCottry added 10 points for the Billikens, who were 28-of-48 (58.3 percent) from the field overall and 24-of-28 (85.7 percent) from the free throw line. SLU's season-high 98 points set a school record for most points in an A-10 home game.
 
Saint Louis trailed just once (2-0) and quickly built a 16-4 lead with 14:05 left in the first half. Jimerson answered a Loyola 3-pointer with one of his own for a 19-7 advantage, and the margin remained in double digits the rest of the way.
 
The Bills led 53-33 at halftime, setting a season high for the most first-half points vs. an A-10 opponent.
 
Loyola's 10-3 run to start the second half narrowed SLU's lead to 56-43, but that was as close as the Ramblers would get. Avila scored the first 11 points, including three 3-pointers, in a 16-5 spurt that put Saint Louis in front 72-48 at the 10:29 mark, and the Billikens cruised from there.
 
The Billikens play their final regular-season road game at Dayton on Tuesday, March 4, at 6 p.m. Central.