The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team received an early Christmas present-a 4-0 record.
Despite season-ending injuries to Harmonie King and Jana Tillman before the season and minor injuries to Melissa Oliver and Bridgett Beckmann, the Billikens have battled through adversity and gone undefeated.
Their latest victim was Loyola. The Billikens defeated the Ramblers 46-36 last night in Chicago. Loyola’s 36 points was the lowest point output by a SLU opponent since 1986.
The Billikens led through most of the first half and were ahead 29-27 at the intermission. Oliver led the attack for SLU with nine points, while Beckmann grabbed seven boards.
After the Ramblers tied the contest at 29, the Billikens went on a 12-0 run to lead 43-29 with six minutes left in the game. Loyola pulled to 45-39. But Star Jackson and Kirsti Holloway hit four free throws to ice the win.
The Billikens held the Ramblers to 12 percent shooting from the field in the second half and only 24 percent on the game. SLU forced Loyola into 29 turnovers.
Oliver led the Bills with 13 points and hauled in six rebounds. Christan Shelton added 12 points and Lakia Jones pulled in eight rebounds.
The Billikens won the Coca-Cola Billiken Classic with victories over Jackson State in the first round last Friday night and Murray State in the championship game last Saturday night.
SLU broke out to a 10-3 lead six minutes into the contest. After withstanding numerous runs by the Racers, who pulled to within four points, the Billikens went on a final run before halftime.
Point guard Jackson scored five points; Shelton and forward Angie Lewis added jumpers to give the Billikens a 38-28 lead at the half.
The Billikens came out firing in the second half. SLU used an 18-8 run to push its lead to 56-36 midway through the second half.
Forward Oliver scored eight points, and center Beckmann added four during the run. The Billikens won, 73-62.
Four Billikens scored in double-figures against Murray State. McKinney and Shelton led SLU with 17 points each. McKinney also pulled down 10 boards. Oliver added 16 points and Beckmann scored 10.
For their efforts, McKinney and Oliver were named to the All-Tournament team and Shelton received the Tournament MVP.
“Obviously, we’re pleased with the outcome,” said head coach Jill Pizzotti. “April McKinney stepped up big for us. She was our most consistent player. Christan (Shelton) put a good weekend together. When Murray State made a run, she stepped into a role and made big shots.”
The Billikens defeated Jackson State 73-42 in the first round of the tournament. SLU grabbed control of the game and never let go. Shelton led the Bills with 12 points. Lewis added 11 points and Greta Bujaker scored 10, both off the bench.
“We did a good job defending,” Pizzotti said.
“In the first half, we did a good job of making things difficult. We did a good job on the boards. We established ourselves early on defense.”
In what was billed as the toughest home opener SLU has had, the Billikens started out the season with a strong defensive effort in their 59-54 victory over the Drake Bulldogs at the Bauman-Eberhardt Athletic Center on Friday, Nov. 17. The Billikens held Drake’s potent three-point attack to 18 percent shooting for the game.
The Bulldogs held a slim lead early in the game. SLU cut the lead to two when Holloway hit a three midway through the first half.
The Billikens received balance scoring in the first half, with six players scoring. McKinney led the team with five boards. Their defensive effort was evident. SLU held the Bulldogs to 33 percent from the field and 25 percent shooting from behind the arc.
SLU took control of the game as the second half started. The Billikens went on a 20-4 run in the first seven minutes of the second half. SLU never trailed again and led by as many as 13 in the second half.
Four Billikens posted double-digit totals in scoring. Jackson led SLU with 15 points. Shelton and McKinney scored 12 apiece, and Oliver added 11. Oliver also grabbed seven boards.
“It was good to get a good win,” Pizzotti said. “I’m happy with the win. We learned a lot from it. We weren’t too comfortable at the start. But our momentum picked up, and we relied on our defense. Our defense was a point of emphasis today.
The Billikens return home to face Dayton this Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Bauman-Eberhardt Athletic Center.
