BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Saint Louis clicked on all facets of its game Saturday, and in doing so earned a spot in Sunday’s Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Championship game with a thrilling 67-44 victory over Davidson at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
It will be the sixth-seeded Billikens taking on No. 4 seed St. Bonaventure tomorrow (Sunday, March 17) at noon (CT). The game will be televised on CBS. The winner receives the A-10’s automatic bid into the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.
The Billikens (22-12) held Davidson(24-9) to just 25.9 percent shooting (17.2 percent in the second half alone). The score was tied at halftime, but the Billikens dismantled the Wildcats in the second half, out-scoring them 38-15 and holding them to just two 3-pointers on 18 attempts.
Javon Bess led the Billikens offensively, burying 10-of-14 shots from the field for a game-high 24 points. Tramaine Isabell Jr. continued his hot play, scoring 19 points and dishing out eight assists. D.J. Foreman brought down a team-high 11 rebounds, while Hasahn French had seven points, 10 boards and four assists.
Isabell scored the Billikens’ first 10 points of the second half, and the Billikens never took their foot off the gas and cruised to the 23-point victory.
Sunday will mark the Billikens’ second appearance in the A-10 title game. They won the league tournament in 2013, which was also held at Barclays Center. Saint Louis also won a Conference USA Championship in 2000, known as the “Miracle in Memphis” when it won four games in four days.
