Gibson Jimerson scored a season-high 30 points to help Saint Louis post a 94-91 win at Rhode Island Saturday in Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball action at the Ryan Center.
The Billikens improved to 11-18 overall and 4-12 in league play with the win. Rhode Island dips to 11-18 and 5-11 in the league.
Jimerson’s 30 points came on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range. He was 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. He also dished out three assists and had three steals.
Larry Hughes II had a career-high 17 points and dished out four assists.
Sincere Parker returned after a two-game absence due to a foot injury and poured in 16 points. However, he left the game in the second half due to a shoulder injury and did not return.
Stef van Bussell had 10 rebounds and six points, including four critical points in the final two minutes that helped the Bills seal the win.
The Billikens shot 54.1 percent from the field and dished out a season-high 19 assists.
The game featured 18 lead changes, including 10 in the second half alone. The game was tied 85-85 with 2:14 remaining, then Hughes hit a pair of free throws and van Bussel had his first of two straight putbacks to give the Bills a lead they would not relinquish.
Two Hughes 3-pointers and a steal that led to a Jimerson bucket were part of an 8-0 run as SLU led 54-52 with 13:30 remaining. A Jimerson NBA-range 3-pointer at the 6:09 mark gave SLU a 77-68 advantage, its largest lead of the game at that point.
The Billikens took a 40-39 advantage into halftime despite Rhode Island going to line 17 times in the opening half to just two times for the Bills. Parker led SLU with 10 first-half points.
SLU came out firing, making its first five shots from the floor. The Billikens led by as many as seven midway through the first half.
SLU returns to action on Tuesday night when it hosts Dayton at Chaifetz Arena. Tip time on CBS Sports Network is 8 p.m.
