ST. LOUIS — Saint Louis used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from Duquesne and earn a 91-76 Atlantic 10 Conference victory Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens improved to 26-3 overall and 14-2 in conference play. SLU is 18-0 at Chaifetz Arena this season and has won 21 straight home games dating back to last season. SLU's 14 wins in league play are the most ever in a conference season in school history. Duquesne fell to 16-13 overall and 8-8 in league play.
Robbie Avila led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a career-high-tying five 3-pointers, while also handing out seven assists. Quentin Jones added 17 points, going 9-of-10 at the free-throw line, and Trey Green chipped in 14 points with four assists. Paul Otieno provided a strong interior presence with 13 points and three rebounds, and the Billikens finished with 29 bench points.
After trailing 41-39 at halftime, the Billikens erupted for 52 points in the second half, shooting 60.9 percent from the floor and 8-of-11 from 3-point range to turn a tight contest into a comfortable win. SLU improved to 26-3 overall and 14-2 in A-10 play, while Duquesne fell to 16-13 (8-8).
Saint Louis seized momentum early in the second half with a 12-2 run, highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers from Avila, to build a lead it would not relinquish. The Dukes pulled to within two of the lead with less than five minutes to go, but back-to-back treys by Green helped the Bills right the ship.
Duquesne was led by Tarence Guinyard's 27 points and Jimmie Williams' 16. The Dukes shot 46.4 percent from the field but were limited to 8-of-24 shooting from beyond the arc and were outscored 52-35 after intermission.
Saint Louis finished the night shooting 54.0 percent overall and a season-high 57.1 percent from 3-point range, while also converting 21-of-24 free throws. The Billikens held a 22-10 advantage in assists and committed just 10 turnovers.
The win keeps Saint Louis atop the Atlantic 10 standings heading into Wednesday's home matchup against Loyola Chicago. Game time on CBS Sports Network is 7 p.m.
