It was a close game as Xavier managed to pull out a 70-68 win over the Billikens at Scottrade Center.
The loss drops SLU to 12-10 overall, 3-5 in the A-10 at the league’s halfway point. Xavier improved to 19-4 and
Kevin Lisch scored 12 points in the final 61 seconds — three 3-point shots and a three-point play — as SLU came back from being down nine with two minutes to play to tie the game with 11.6 seconds left. Majerus wanted to reset his defense after the shot, but both teams were out of timeouts. After Lisch’s free throw tied the game, Drew Lavender set up a play in the SLU end. He drove to the basket, and Luke Meyer came over to defend. Lavender missed but Derrick Brown, who had been guarded by Meyer, had a lane to the basket and he reached over Lisch to tip the ball in with 0.1 seconds on the clock.
Lisch finished with 25 points and had a career-high six 3-point baskets. Meyer had 11 but missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:59 to play. Josh Duncan had 15 for Xavier before fouling out, and Lavender had 13.
Xavier led by as many as 16 points in the first half and looked to be ready to put SLU awayBut SLU wouldn’t go away.
Down by 13 at the half, SLU quickly cut the lead to six by scoring seven unanswered points.
Xavier built the lead back to 13, only to see SLU cut it to three at 55-52 with five minutes to play. Xavier sent it back to nine and Meyer missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:59 to play that seemed to end SLU’s chances, but Lisch stole a pass on the other end and was fouled by Duncan, his fifth.
Lisch made both free throws to make it 61-54 and then SLU had to send Xavier to the foul line.
Xavier missed two of its next three at the line and Lisch hit two 3-pointers to cut Xavier’s lead to 64-62 with 36.5 seconds to play. Stanley Burrell hit two free throws to make it 66-62 and Lisch responded with another 3 to make it 66-65.