SLU improved to 19-9 overall and 10-5 in the A-10. Saint Joseph’s fell to 10-16, 4-11.
Yuri Collins (7-of-10 FG) led the Bills with a game-high-tying 17 points and a game-high six assists. Francis Okoro (6-of-11) registered his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and he added a game-high three blocks.
Gibson Jimerson scored 14 points and Fred Thatch Jr. added 10 for the Billikens, who connected at a 52.7-percent clip (29-of-55) for the game. Saint Louis committed only seven turnovers, its season low in a conference game.
Saint Joseph’s closed an 11-point deficit to four, 48-44, with 10:57 left on the strength of four 3-pointers in a 13-6 run.
SLU answered with a 7-0 spurt, including five points from Okoro, to re-establish a double-digit advantage, 55-44. After the Hawks made it a nine-point game, the Billikens extended the run to 13-2 for their largest cushion of the night, 61-46, at the 7:10 mark.
Saint Joseph’s made one final push with an 8-2 run that trimmed the Saint Louis lead to 63-54 with 5:37 remaining. But Okoro’s three-point play, a bucket by Thatch and stout defense put the Billikens back in control.
Collins connected from the arc on the first possession of the game, and SLU led the rest of the way except for a 6-6 tie.
An 8-0 surge put the Billikens on top 14-6. The Hawks pulled to within a point on four occasions later in the first half, the final time at 28-27 following a 10-3 run. Jordan Nesbitt buried a triple after Saint Joseph’s came up empty on a possession that could have given the Hawks the lead, and a Thatch free throw made it 32-27 Saint Louis at intermission.
The Billikens travel to Richmond to take on the Spiders Friday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. Central. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
