ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis placed five players in double figures and made several key plays down the stretch to earn a 90-84 victory over Missouri Friday night at Enterprise Center.
The win moves the Billikens to 2-0, while Missouri falls to 1-1.Â
It was the first game between the in-state rivals in 25 years. In the last three-game series between the teams, which took place from 1999-2001, the games were decided by a combined nine points, and Friday's game was another thriller between the Billikens and Tigers.
Amari McCottry and Ishan Sharma paced the Billikens with 17 points apiece. Trey Green added 16 points, while Quentin Jones finished with 14 points, five assists and four rebounds. Alon Michaeli added 13 points, six assists and nine rebounds and came up with some big buckets down the stretch.
Saint Louis finished 33-of-63 from the field (52.4 percent) and knocked down 14-of-25 attempts from beyond the arc (56.0 percent). The Billikens also recorded assists on 24 of their 33 field goals.
Saint Louis came out firing, shooting 57.6 percent from the field in the first half, including 9-of-16 from 3-point range. The Billikens built a double-digit advantage midway through the opening period and carried a 49-38 lead into halftime.
Green led the early charge, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the first half. Sharma added 11 first-half points, while Jones knocked down three 3-pointers before the break.
The Billikens continued to maintain control in the second half, stretching their advantage to 14 points, 64-50, on a Sharma 3-pointer with 14:03 remaining.
Missouri, however, made a push to get back into the game. The Tigers gradually chipped away at the deficit and pulled within six, 78-72, with less than six minutes remaining.
Jones answered with a clutch 3-pointer to restore a nine-point cushion, and Kellen Thames followed with a basket to make it 83-74.
Missouri continued to battle, cutting the margin to five, 83-78, with 2:44 remaining. After a defensive stop, Jones found Alon Michaeli for a dunk with 1:47 left, pushing the Billikens' lead back to seven.
Michaeli delivered again moments later, converting a layup with 1:13 remaining to make it 87-79. He added three free throws in the final minute to help Saint Louis secure the six-point victory.
The Billikens return to action on Tuesday when they take on Northern Kentucky at Chaifetz Arena. Game time is 7 p.m.
