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Gibson Jimerson scored a season-high 28 points to lead four Saint Louis double-digit scorers, Francis Okoro posted his sixth double-double of the season, and the Billikens fought off Duquesne 90-85 Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens improved to 18-9 overall and 10-4 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, tied with Dayton for second place behind VCU (11-3).
Jimerson was 11-of-17 from the field to lead SLU to a 58.7-percent performance, its best of the season. The Billikens’ 90 points, their season high in a conference game, included a whopping 70 points in the paint – 20 more than their previous season high of 50 vs. Murray State and Tennessee State. That countered Duquesne’s 15 3-pointers (15-of-29).
Francis Okoro recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points (6-of-11 FG) and a game-high 16 rebounds. Six of Okoro’s rebounds came on the offensive glass, helping Saint Louis to a 20-11 advantage in second-chance points.
Javon Pickett (6-of-8 FG) tallied 15 points, while Yuri Collins just missed a double-double with 13 points and a game-high nine assists.
Saint Louis led 12-7 with 15:40 left in the first half, with Jimerson scoring the last six points of the dozen. Duquesne then exploded for a 24-4 surge, fueled by six 3-pointers, and the Dukes led 31-16 at the 9:19 mark.
After the Billikens whittled the margin to single digits, 32-24, with an 8-1 run, Duquesne tallied the next five points for a 37-24 edge with 6:28 to play. But SLU closed the half on a 15-4 flurry, with baskets from seven different players, to trail just 41-39 at intermission.
The Dukes connected from beyond the arc on their initial second-half possession for a five-point lead, but an 8-1 Saint Louis run put the Bills on top 47-45.
Three ties followed, and SLU’s lead never was comfortable until an 11-0 run, including seven points from Jimerson, turned a three-point margin into an 80-66 cushion with 5:42 remaining.
Duquense answered with a 12-1 surge that made it a one-possession game, 81-78, at the 2:32 mark. Saint Louis doubled the margin to six twice, but a Duquesne 3-pointer with 16 ticks left gave the Dukes hope, trailing 88-85.
However, Pickett calmly sank two free throws seconds later, and the Billiken defense held.
The Billikens play at Richmond Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. CT.
