A championship team defends its home.

The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team went 3-1 on a recent homestand. The Billikens concluded the stretch last weekend with a pair of wins over South Florida, 58-42, and Houston, 76-72.

These wins moved SLU into a six-way tie for fourth place in Conference USA and into second place in the American Division. SLU is 14-7 overall and 5-5 in C-USA.

The South Florida Bulls, winless in their first eight conference games, took an early 10-3 lead last Friday night. SLU shot 1-9 from the field during this stretch. Much of their success can be attributed to the zone defense that South Florida employed.

“We got off to a slow start. Our offense looked terrible,” said sophomore guard Christan Shelton. “Their zone put us to sleep.”

“A zone makes you complacent,” said sophomore guard Star Jackson. “It makes for miscommunication.”

The game took a turn in SLU’s favor with 10 minutes left in the first half. Shelton hit a pair of 18-foot jumpers, and freshman forward Angie Lewis hit a shot in the lane to cut the Bulls’ lead to 12-9.

The Billikens took the lead for good when Lewis hit a layup with just under two minutes left in the first half. SLU led 20-17 at the half.

SLU held South Florida to five field goals in the half and forced 14 turnovers.

The Billikens continued their frustrating defense in the second half and showed why it’s 12th in the nation.

SLU’s defense forced seven more turnovers. The Bulls could not get into any flow on offense.

This energy on defense fueled the Billikens’ offense. SLU opened the half on a 10-2 run and had a 30-19 lead five minutes after the intermission. The Billikens rolled on for a hard-fought 58-42 victory.

Shelton tied her career-high with 20 points. Lewis added 10 points and eight boards off the bench. Sophomore forward Lakia Jones also pulled down eight rebounds.

“Obviously, our offense didn’t start out great, but we battled through,” said coach Jill Pizzotti. “We didn’t let it affect our defense. We’ve gone through stretches of not scoring this year. We kept our focus.”

Houston came to town last Sunday hoping to improve on a 7-2 record in C-USA. Neither team built a decisive lead in the first half. Both teams used the full-court press and forced turnovers. But both defenses found ways to score.

Senior forward April McKinney scored nine of SLU’s first 11 points. McKinney used her perfected hook shot to attack the Cougars in the paint.

“I’d been in a slump. I just wanted to go out and play,” said McKinney. “The hook was working. I may as well use it.”

The Billikens clung to a 38-37 lead at halftime.

SLU scored the first eight points in the second half and took a 46-37 lead on a follow-up basket from Shelton.

Houston tried throughout the half to cut into SLU’s lead. But the Billikens were able to maintain a comfortable lead. Sophomore guard Harmonie King came off a high screen and hit a 16-foot jumper at the top of the key to give SLU a 56-47 lead.

Houston made a last-ditch effort and cut the Billikens’ lead to 66-63 with three minutes left. King made four straight free throws to ice the 76-72 win for the Billikens.

McKinney led four Billikens in double-figures with 17 points. King added 16 off the bench. Jackson poured in 13 and Shelton scored 12. Shelton and McKinney hauled in nine rebounds apiece. SLU out rebounded to taller Cougars 46-34.

“We knew that they would come out and press,” Pizzotti said. “We didn’t want to be unaggressive against the press. We had a number of good shots.”

The Billikens take to the road this weekend. They play at Memphis Friday at 7 p.m. and head to Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The Memphis Tigers are 10-11 overall and 3-7 in conference. Tiffany Adkins leads Memphis in scoring at 18.6 points a game and 8.2 boards a game. The Billikens upset the Tigers the last time the teams squared-off in Memphis.

“They’re always a strong team,” Pizzotti said. “Adkins has a great overall game. They’re tough inside. They have great strength and athleticism. They’re another tough team; they use their defense to create tempo.”

The UAB Blazers are 13-8 overall and 5-5 in C-USA. Deanna Jackson, preseason C-USA Player of the Year, is second in the country in scoring at 26.1 points a game. She also leads the team in rebounding with 11.8 boards a game.

“Last year, they went to the Sweet 16. Deanna Jackson is extremely athletic,” Pizzotti said. “She shoots it, drives it and boards it. It’s a challenge for us on the road. We need to continue to build confidence.”