Men’s basketball season ends
The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team’s quest for a conference championship ended with a first-round, overtime loss to Dayton University on March 12. Senior guard Danny Brown, who scored a career-high 24 points, misfired a jumper from the left wing in the closing seconds in overtime for the 63-62 loss. Brown’s 24 points came from making 8 of 12 shots from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
The Billikens finished the season with a 16-15 record overall and 7-9 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Junior guard Kevin Lisch was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Conference third team and was selected to the All-Defensive team. Lisch and senior forward Luke Meyer earned Academic All-Conference plaudits from the A-10, as SLU was the only school with two selections to the academic team.
Women’s basketball loses in A-10
The women’s basketball team was unable to pull off the upset against St. Joseph’s in the first round of the A-10 Tournament, falling to the Hawks 71-58 on March 7. The Billikens were unable to handle St. Joseph’s offense, as the Hawks had four players in double figures. Sophomore guard Katie Paganelli led the Bills with 13 points. With its fifth straight loss, SLU finishes the season with a 10-20 record overall.
“It hurts to lose a game like this, but we did what we wanted to do, and that’s battle,” Head Coach Shimmy Gray-Miller said. “We wanted to battle and work hard for 40 minutes, and if we could get a win on top of that, then it would have been all the better. We didn’t get the win, but I’m proud of my team.”
Gray-Miller closed her third season as head coach with a 10-20 overall record. The Billikens’ 5-9 A-10 regular-season slate was one game better than the 4-10 mark they registered a year ago.
Cross-country signs two runners
Two new runners, Jordan Jennings and Adair Quisenberry, have both signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University and run for the Bills in the 2008-09 seasons. Jennings transfers from Lincoln College and will have two years of eligibiliity starting next year. Quisenberry is from Daviess County High School. He was the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association’s Senior of the Year in 2007.
“Jordan is a top-notch addition to our men’s team,” Bell said. “He has the range to run cross country in the fall where he will compete for a top-five spot.
“The addition of Adair to the incoming women’s class, in addition to our returning student-athletes, instantly puts us in the upper echelon of the Atlantic 10 Conference.”
Track and field kicks off its outdoor season today, when it travels across town to participate in the Washington University Invitational. For the first time, the women’s program will enter student-athletes in the shot put, discus, high jump and long jump. On the men’s side, the Bills will have a pole vaulter for the first time and will have entries in the discus and shot put.
Softball called off in fifth inning due to lightning
In its most recent match against Indiana State, the Saint Louis University softball team completed five scoreless innings on Wednesday, March 26, at The Billiken Sports Center before the game was called due to lightning and inclement weather.
The only SLU player to reach first base in the five innings that were played was freshman Caitlin Trevillyan, who bunted on the first play of the game.
The Sycamores threatened in the fifth after the lead-off hitter singled to right center, but she was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. Sophomore Stacy Gillette, though, was able to close out the inning.
Junior Rachel Heet leads the Billikens statistically this season with 26 hits and 14 runs batted in.
The Billikens return to action today with a game against La Salle slated for 2 p.m. in Philadelphia.
Turmail garners conference honors
For the second time this season, junior right-hander Scott Turmail was named A-10 Conference Baseball Co-pitcher of the Week. On the season, statistically, Turmail sports a 3-1 record and a 2.05 ERA in five appearances, four of which were starts. He has struck out 22 on the season and walked just three.
The Billiken baseball team continues its six-game home stand this weekend when it hosts Atlantic 10 Conference foe Fordham for three-game set at The Billiken Sports Center on the SLU campus. All home games may be followed through GameTracker on SLU’s official athletics website, www.slubillikens.com.
Byars selected as A-10 Swimmer of the Year
Senior swimmer Brad Byars was selected as the Atlantic 10 Conference’s Men’s Swimming and Diving Student-Athlete of the Year on March 12.
Byars qualified first for the championship finals in the 100 free and went on to capture the title by tying his own school record on the final day of competition at the Atlantic 10 Swimming and Diving Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. The senior is the Billikens’ first male swimmer to win an A-10 title.
Diver Anna Larson, who will compete at her second-straight NCAA Zone Meet next week, garnered a spot on the Academic All-Conference squad after finishing among the top four in both diving events at the A-10 Championships.
Larson placed fourth on the one-meter board with an 11-dive effort of 423.10, which ranks fourth all-time in SLU’s history books. The biology major also finished third on the three-meter board with an 11-dive score of 507.10, which ranks second all-time for SLU.