Home CollegeSLU Billikens Billikens Come Up Short in NIT First Round

Billikens Come Up Short in NIT First Round

by Brian Kunderman
Gibson Jimerson scored 20 points and Francis Okoro registered his ninth double-double of the season in Saint Louis’ 80-68 loss to Northern Iowa in a National Invitation Tournament first-round game Wednesday night at Chaifetz Arena.

The Billikens conclude the season with a 23-12 record. Northern Iowa, which will face either BYU or Long Beach State in the second round, improved to 20-11.

Jimerson connected on 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Okoro was 6-of-10 from the floor and finished with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including five offensive boards.

Fred Thatch Jr. contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and a game-high-tying five assists. DeAndre Jones matched his season high of four assists starting in place of the injured Yuri Collins.

Northern Iowa, the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champion, hit a 3-pointer on its opening possession and never trailed. An Okoro dunk knotted the score at 6-6, but UNI took the lead for good seconds later.

The Panthers led 26-13 midway through the first half, but the Billikens chipped away and narrowed the gap to two points, 40-38, with under a minute to play. A 3-pointer allowed UNI to take a 43-38 lead to the locker room.

The margin floated between seven and nine points until Okoro converted an offensive rebound into a bucket that made it 55-51 with 14:22 remaining. However, a 20-0 run put the game firmly in UNI’s control.

The Panthers’ 16 3-pointers were the most scored against the Billikens in school history.
+ posts

Related Articles