The Billikens just haven’t been themselves lately. After a dismal beginning to the Conference USA season, the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team has enjoyed new-found success in shocking second-ranked Louisville last Wednesday and overpowering East Carolina on Saturday. After an impressive 58-55 road victory over league foe Cincinnati, it seems that the Bills have the C-USA in the palm of their hands.
The revamped Bills (11-12, 5-7) traveled to the Shoemaker Center, where SLU has never won in the arena’s 12-year existence, and beat powerhouse Cincinnati. The win marks the first time since 1982 that SLU has beaten the Bearcats in Cincinnati. Instead of becoming yet another victim of Cincinnati’s home-court dominance, the revitalized Billikens captured another improbable victory.
“We told our guys coming in here that we had to believe we could win,” said Billikens coach Brad Soderberg. “Everyone in our locker room thought we could win, and they came in prepared to do just that. We made it hard for them to get anything done on offense, and we managed to survive the end of the game.”
The Bills jumped out to a 4-2 lead after Marque Perry and Josh Fisher hit two jump shots. The modest lead held for over 2 minutes due to a cold Cincinnati offense. But the Bearcats were relentless on the offensive boards, preventing SLU from making an early run. After Cincinnati’s Jason Maxiell blocked Kenny Brown under the basket, the Bearcats came alive.
But Perry put the Bills on his shoulders for the rest of the game. The senior captain, who finished the game with 20 points, drilled a three-pointer followed by another jumper to give SLU a 13-9 lead with 10:21 remaining in the half.
Cincinnati could not heat up offensively, despite a barrage of shots from Leonard Stokes and Maxiell. With SLU ahead by seven, Kenny Brown intercepted a Bearcat pass and dished it to Izik Ohanon, who capped an 10-0 run over a span of almost six minutes and put the Billikens ahead 18-9, with a 15-foot jumper.
The Bearcats would not go away, however. Back-to-back baskets from Maxiell and Stokes cut the lead to five with with six minutes remaining in the half. But two Sloan charity shots, a jumper from Perry and two more free throws from Chris Braun gave SLU an 11-point lead with 4:00 remaining in the half.
“I just tried to keep off the low block and wait for some help to come,” Brown said. “We doubled sometimes, but not all the time. He’s a great player who will be in the NBA some day, but we did a good job tonight.”
At the half, the Bills led the Cats 31-18. The Billikens and the Bearcats battled back-and-forth for the majority of the half.
With 4:45 remaining and the Bills in dire need of an offensive spark, Perry escaped a suffocating defense and drained a three-pointer putting the SLU ahead 49-41. After a basket by Stokes, Perry drained a 15-foot jumper with 3:45 on the clock, silencing the Bearcat crowd.
With 20 seconds remaining and the Bills up by three after a Billiken free throw, the Bearcats immediately fouled Perry, who made the first of two free throws. After missing the second shot, Cincinnati got the ball to Stokes with 11 seconds remaining. His jumper brought the Bearcats within two at 57-55. Perry was fouled again with nine ticks on the clock and again only made the first of two free throw opportunities.
The Billikens led by three when Cincinnati inbounded the ball with eight seconds remaining.
Bobbit brought the ball down the court, but was met by Perry at the arc. Perry’s stifling defense forced Stokes to force a desperation shot that fell short of the basket. SLU rebounded and sealed its victory.
