Nobody expected this one to be close . except the men’s basketball team.
Saint Louis University took on Kent State last night in a fight that became an all-out brawl. The Billikens lost by 41 points last season to KSU. And, even though the Bills gave a thrilling performance this time around, they still lost in overtime, 76-74. It’s the team’s first loss at Chaifetz Arena.
Senior guard Kevin Lisch led SLU (1-1) with 22 points, while guard Al Fischer scored 35 for Kent State (2-0) and 16 of KSU’s 17 points in overtime.
“It’s no one man, it’s men working together,” head coach Rick Majerus said. “But there are things we can do to stop [Kent State], but you can’t when you’re together for 26 days.
“We only have a couple of bullets in the gun right now. That’s why you don’t want to be young.”
Both teams came out flat during the first half. KSU shot under 35 percent from the field, while SLU was pegged with 13 turnovers.
Only Lisch and senior guard Tommie Liddell III made baskets in the half, combining for 20 points.
Senior Barry Eberhardt scored the other two points on free throw shots. The Bills walked off the court at the half down, 24-20.
The teams traded leads throughout the second half, but neither team would lead by more than four points. At the end of regulation, the showdown resulted in a 59-59 tie, causing an overtime.
“We put ourselves in a position to win,” Lisch said. “Basketball is not a game of being perfect. We let everything snowball [last year], but this year we kept our poise.”
Fischer dominated SLU in overtime. Lisch kept it close with 5 points, but Fischer was a perfect 7-7 for KSU. Fischer iced the win for the Golden Flashes with a buzzer-beater layup at 2.1 seconds remaining.
“The first half we had him under control,” Majerus said. “We knew he was going to come out the second half, and he did. He’s really good.”
“There’s a reason why he’s their player of the year from last year,” Lisch said. “When he gets hot, you have to find a way to get him out of his game. I couldn’t find a way to do that.”
The team now looks to its next match this Saturday against Boston College at home. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.
“No one’s going to feel sorry for us because we are hurt or young,” Majerus said. “I just want to get ready for Boston College.”
