Billikens Stun Hawks in Thrilling Road Showdown

ST. LOUIS – The Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball squad featured three players scoring in double digits, however, the Hawks fell to the Saint Louis Billikens, 73-57 on Friday evening.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Erik Reynolds II netted 11 points. His initial basket, a three-pointer at the 15:22 mark of the first half, elevated him into the fourth spot on the St. Joe’s all-time scoring chart, concluding the game with 1,856 points.
• Rasheer Fleming achieved his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
• Justice Ajogbor scored eight with five rebounds, all his points and four of his boards came during the second half.
• Xzayvier Brown added 11 points.
• Derek Simpson contributed six points, three rebounds, and four steals.
• Shawn Simmons II provided valuable minutes off the bench in the first half, scoring two points and hauling in four rebounds.

 
HOW IT UNFOLDED

• A sluggish beginning for the Hawks coupled with an 8-for-13 start for the Billikens allowed Saint Louis to establish an 18-8 advantage at the 13:36 mark, prompting a timeout from St. Joe’s.
• Following that, SJU intensified their defense, forcing three straight misses and six turnovers within a span of 5:29 as the Hawks embarked on a 14-2 run to seize their first lead of the night.
• Saint Louis countered, scoring nine of the next 11 points. Saint Joseph’s managed a small run before a buzzer-beater from the Billikens left SJU trailing 36-29 at halftime.
• After falling behind by 12 just five minutes into the second half, the Hawks orchestrated a 14-4 surge with six points contributed by Ajogbor, narrowing the gap to 49-47 with 8:39 left, compelling a timeout from Saint Louis.
• SJU maintained the game within five points for several minutes, but an 8-2 run by the Billikens led to SLU establishing a 63-52 lead heading into the final media timeout, ultimately contributing to the final score.

 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will remain on the road, heading to Pittsburgh to face Duquesne on Wednesday, January 8. The tip-off from UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse is set for 7:00 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.