The Saint Louis University Billikens have become a basketball team that has been very difficult to defeat on their home court.
The No. 23 Billikens continued their home dominance on Saturday night with a 91-76 victory over Duquesne in an Atlantic 10 Conference game at Chaifetz Arena. SLU is now 18-0 at home this season with its home winning streak currently at 21 dating back to last season.
The Billikens remain in first place in the Atlantic 10 with a 14-2 record and 26-3 overall. The 14 conference victories are a new school record.
Duquesne made a strong big to upset the Billikens and stop the streak as they trailed 76-74 with just over five minutes left to play. But, the Billikens responded with a 15-2 run to close the game to keep their record perfect at home. Guard Trey Green scored eight consecutive points on two consecutive 3-pointers and two free throws to push the lead to 10 points and the Billikens out of danger.
Senior center Robbie Avila led the Billikens with a game-high 23 points. The 6’10 Avila was brilliant in the second half as he scored 21 points after halftime. He also had seven rebounds and seven assists to lead the team in both categories. Junior guard Quentin Jones had 17 points, three rebounds and two blocked shots, Trey Green scored 14 points and senior Paul Otieno added 13 points.
The Billikens return to action on Wednesday night when they host Loyola Chicago in the regular-season home finale. If Saint Louis wins on Wednesday, it will clinch a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season championship and a No. 1 seed in the upcoming A-10 Tournament in Pittsburgh.
The SLU-Loyola game will tip off at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network and broadcast on KMOX-AM 1120.