DAVIDSON, N.C. – Brady Dunlap scored a career-high 22 points and drilled all six of his 3-pointers to lead No. 19 Saint Louis to a 91-82 victory at Davidson on Tuesday night in Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball action at Belk Arena.
The win extends Saint Louis' best start in school history as it moves to 22-1 overall and 10-0 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. The Billikens' 16-game winning streak is the second-longest in school history.
Dunlap's 6-of-6 performance from 3-point range is a single-game record for 3-point percentage by a SLU player. His 22 points are a career high, eclipsing the 20 points he scored against Quinnipiac while at St. John's.
Robbie Avila added 17 points and a game-high six assists. Amari McCottry went for 14 points and a team-leading nine rebounds, while Trey Green poured in 13 points in a game near his hometown.
The Wildcats (13-9, 5-5 A-10) shot near 50 percent in the first half and led by as many as 13 points in the opening stanza. SLU corrected course in the second, shooting nearly 60 percent in the second half while holding Davidson to 40 percent (21.4 percent from 3-point range).Â
Davidson came out hot at the outset and led by as many as 13 late in the first half. But an 8-0 run, sandwiched by 3-pointers by Ishan Sharma and Brady Dunlap, helped the Billikens pull within five of the lead at the break, 46-41.
SLU pushed the run to 11-0 when Trey Green opened the second half with a 3-pointer.Â
The Billikens snagged the lead for the first time since the opening possession five minutes into the second half. Amari McCottry converted a traditional 3-point play, followed by back-to-back treys by Dunlap that put SLU ahead 59-57.
SLU eventually stretched the run to 16-0 and built a 12-point cushion midway through the second half.
The Wildcats did not go down quietly, but they were never able to mount a sustained push, and SLU posted the nine-point win.
The Billikens are back in action Saturday (Feb. 7) when they take on the La Salle Explorers at Chaifetz Arena in a 2 p.m. tip. The game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network and will stream live on ESPN+.
