Good teams surpass expectations.

The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team was picked to finish last in the American Division. DePaul and Marquette were picked to finish first and second, respectively. Before the season started, this looked like it could be a frustrating weekend for the Billikens.

But SLU’s young team has proven to be better than advertised and is showing that it can play with any team in the conference. The Billikens defeated the DePaul Blue Demons, 68-54, last Friday and barely lost to the Marquette Golden Eagles, 56-50 on Sunday.

DePaul and SLU played close early on. The Blue Demons led 15-11 eight minutes into the contest. Even though the Billikens trailed, they forced their up-tempo style on offense and their trapping defense rattled DePaul.

The game began to turn with 8:17 left in the game. Freshman guard Kirsti Holloway hit a pull-up jumper on the baseline to cut the Blue Demons lead to 21-19.

After a DePaul miss, sophomore guard Greta Bujaker hit a three to give SLU the lead for good. The Billikens led 35-33 at the half.

The Billikens continued to find success on the offensive end and built a 52-37 lead on a 15-foot jumper by senior forward Bridget Beckmann. The Billikens dominated the lane, outscoring DePaul 44-26 in the paint. SLU also outrebounded the Blue Demons 47-37.

But the defensive effort was even more impressive. They held the Blue Demons to 1 of 17 shooting midway through the half. SLU’s defense has tormented teams throughout the season, ranking 13th in the nation.

SLU held DePaul’s leading scorer, Lenae Williams, to 6-21 shooting from the field and 1-7 from behind the arc. Many Billikens, including Bujaker and sophomore guard Christan Shelton, frustrated Williams.

“The coaches scouted her and knew exactly what she would do,” said Bujaker. “We executed what we did all week [in practice.] We came ready to play.”

Shelton led SLU in scoring and tied a career-high with 20 points. Beckmann posted 14 and Holloway added 12. Senior forward April McKinney pulled down nine rebounds and Beckmann grabbed eight.

“We really got on them defensively. We knew that was our only chance,” said coach Jill Pizzotti. “We’ve done a good job defending the three this year. Our kids take pride in their defense. We pushed the ball to create [offensive chances] and had easy opportunities.”

Marquette posed a greater challenge for SLU on Sunday. SLU roared out to a 9-2 lead five minutes into the game. Shelton scored SLU’s first nine points. SLU maintained the lead throughout the first half and led 28-25 at halftime.

The Golden Eagles tied the contest at 30-30 just after half. The teams traded hoops until the final seven minutes. Marquette went on a 7-0 run to take a 52-45 lead.

Holloway hit a three with three minutes left to cut Marquette’s lead to 52-48. After a Marquette miss, freshman forward Angie Lewis drove the lane and hit a layup to cut the lead to 52-50. Marquette scored the final four points for the 56-50 win.

Marquette grabbed 17 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second chance points.

“Marquette did a tremendous job getting to the offensive boards,” Pizzotti said. “I was fine with our defensive possessions, but Marquette’s second effort was the difference. To finish the play, you have to rebound the ball. It was a credit to Marquette’s kids for working so hard.”

The Billikens are now 12-7 overall and 3-5 in C-USA. SLU is in fourth place in the American Division.

The Billikens conclude their four-game stand with South Florida on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. and Houston on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.

South Florida is 3-16 overall and 0-8 in C-USA. Aiya Shepard leads the Bulls with 17 points and leads the league in steals with 2.71 per game.

“South Florida is coming off one of the better games of the year. They’ve played a lot of teams tough,” Pizzotti said. “They’re going to come in scratching and clawing and trying to win their first conference game.”

Houston is 14-6 overall and 7-1 in C-USA. They’re in first place in the National Division. The Cougars lost their leading scorer, freshman Chandi Jones, to a knee injury. She was averaging 21.5 points a game.

“I’m sure they’ll be making adjustments,” Pizzotti said. “They’re trying to see who will take on added responsibility. They’re motivated to win. With or without Chandi Jones, they’re a good team.”