ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University finds itself in an unlikely place just three games into Atlantic 10 Conference play: alone in first place.
Three games into the conference season, SLU is the only team at 3-0 after beating St. Bonaventure 73-68 on a frigid Wednesday night at Chaifetz Arena.
SLU came into league play with a 7-6 record but has won its first three, with two of the wins coming against some of the better teams in the league. SLU did it by making 39.4% of its 3-point tries while holding St. Bonaventure, which had been among the hottest teams in the conference, to 23.5% on 3s.
Gibson Jimerson scored 28 points, Isaiah Swope had 16 and Robbie Avila had 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Because of foul trouble for Kalu Anya, who fouled out after playing only 11 minutes, SLU coach Josh Schertz had to go to his bench and got contributions from, Kellen Thames, who scored seven points before running out of steam, and Dylan Warlick, who got his most crucial playing time so far and had two points and three assists, all in the second half.
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With Richmond losing earlier in the evening, the winner of the game was the only unbeaten left in the Atlantic 10, just three games into the conference season.
SLU led by 10 with 2:44 to go, but St. Bonaventure made a run and cut the lead to four with 29.6 seconds left. Jimerson made two free throws with 21.7 seconds left, but St. Bonaventure’s Lajae Jones countered with a 3 with 11.3 seconds to play to cut the lead to 71-68. Jimerson made two free throws with 8.5 seconds left to seal it.
SLU trailed by as many as seven points in the first half but went on a late 11-0 run to go up 34-28 at the half. The turnaround started when Anya reentered the game 3:43 to play in the half, but Schertz didn’t have his first-choice lineup for long. With 2:56 to go, Anya picked up his third foul, and while Schertz will use players with two fouls more than almost any Division I coach, three is another matter, so Thames came in. He quickly scored five points, hitting a corner 3 and then finishing a no-look pass from Avila for a layup.
After a St. Bonaventure miss, Avila made a layup (that was goaltended), then Swope had a steal and a layup. In the final 3:43, St. Bonaventure missed all four of its shots and turned the ball over twice.
Photos: SLU men's basketball 73-68 win over St. Bonaventure takes them to the top of the Atlantic 10 conference
Fans celebrate with a howling ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Gibson Jimerson (24) after he sunk a 3-pointer against St. Bonaventure during the second half of a game Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens’ Gibson Jimerson, right, drives to the hoop for a basket against St. Bonaventure’s Noel Brown on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) gets a three-point shot off over St. Bonaventure center Noel Brown (24) and guard Lajae Jones (10) during second half action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
SLU’s Robbie Avila shoots over St. Bonaventure’s Noel Brown in a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kellen Thames (0) and St. Bonaventure guard Chance Moore (0) reach for a loose ball in first half action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kellen Thames (0) dunks off St. Bonaventure in the first half action that put the Billikens up by two points on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) jumps defending St. Bonaventure guard Lajae Jones (10) during first half action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kellen Thames (0) celebrates amid frustrated St. Bonaventure players during the first half of a game Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kobe Johnson (8) and St. Bonaventure guard Chance Moore (0) chase a rebound in first half action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kellen Thames (0) puts in an alley-oop as St. Bonaventure guard Chance Moore (0) watches in second half on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) celebrats as guard Kellen Thames (0) celebrates his alley-oop against St. Bonaventure in second half on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kellen Thames (0) dribbles down court in first half action against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Gibson Jimerson (24) dribbles down court as St. Bonaventure guard Jonah Hinton (8) guards during first half action of a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) looks to set up a play as St. Bonaventure guard Jonah Hinton (8) watches in first half action of a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
Fan criticize the referee yelling ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Gibson Jimerson (24) was fouled on a drive to the hoop against St. Bonaventure during the second half a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Kellen Thames (0) celebrates an alley-oop against St. Bonaventure in second half on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) steals the ball away from St. Bonaventure guard Melvin Council Jr. (11) during second half action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University forward Kilian Brockhoff (14) and the bench erupt when St. Bonaventure guard Chance Moore (0) fouled ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University center Robbie Avila (21) is fouled during second half action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University Head Coach Josh Schertz talks to his team during a time out against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.Â
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University center Robbie Avila (21) runs on the court during player introductions in a game against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University center Robbie Avila (21) and forward Kalu Anya (6) block St. Bonaventure guard Chance Moore (0) during first half action of a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University Head Coach Josh Schertz talks to his team during a time out against St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Gibson Jimerson (24) sinks his second free-throw sealing the Billikens 73-68 win over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) shoots a three-pointer over St. Bonaventure guard Chance Moore (0) during second half action of a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ University guard Isaiah Swope (1) drives to the basket as St. Bonaventure guard Lajae Jones (10) watches during second half action of a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at Chaifetz Arena.
