Men’s basketball coach Lorenzo Romar promised to bring a more up-tempo style to the Saint Louis University basketball program. But no one thought he would make things as up-tempo as they were on Monday night at the Kiel Center.
The Billikens beat the Southern California All-Stars 102-73, scoring over 100 points for the first time in five years. The Bills were all over the floor in the victory, showcasing their athletic ability to a crowd of more than 6, 000 fans.
“There were some surprises and some letdowns,” said Romar. “I think we’re coming along pretty good.”
There was a downside to the Bills’ fanatic play-they committed 27 turnovers.
“We shouldn’t have allowed them to force us into so many turnovers,” Romar said. “We feel those things will be resolved the next time out.”
The Billikens scored on their first five possessions. Justin Love hit a three pointer from the top of the key to put SLU up 3-0. Matt Baniak added two free throws. Chris Heinrich started the season on the right foot, nailing two jump shots and assisting on Baniak’s slam dunk. SLU led 11-5.
The California All-Stars hung with SLU for the majority of the first half. They trimmed the Billiken lead to 25-22 with 8:51 to play in the half. But the Bills pulled away late in the half, taking a 53-35 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, SLU jumped out to a 62-41 advantage with 17:22 to go. But the Bills proceeded to misfire on their next eight possessions. The All-Stars also could not connect, as they missed on 11 of their next 12 opportunities.
SLU made up for their cold stretch by hitting six consecutive shots between the seven-minute mark and the four-minute mark. The Bills cruised after that for the 29-point win.
The fast-paced action drew rave reviews from the players.
“This new way could benefit me,” Baniak said. “I get a chance to run and a chance to face the basket.”
“It’s a little more organized as far as post play goes,” Heinrich said. “We seem to have more direction than before.”
And while people will continue to compare and contrast former coach Charlie Spoonhour’s style with Romar’s style, you won’t hear that from the players.
“I like to run. But you can’t put down what Spoon and his staff did,” Baniak said. “We won.”
Romar was as ready for this game as much as anyone.
“I was just so anxious to get it going,” Romar said. “I just wanted to see what we look like against another club.”
Love appeared in midseason form, pouring in 16 points while grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. Baniak chipped in 14 points and six rebounds while Heinrich contributed 10 points from the post position.
And despite the 27 turnovers, the Billikens had 27 assists as a team.
“I was really pleased with our big players. I said all along I thought people would be pleasantly surprised with our big players,” Romar said. “I was excited that our guys were unselfish.”
The Billikens’ exhibition contest is Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the Kiel Center at 7:05 p.m. versus NBC Thunder.
