GDT: Loyola Marymount

[GDT Bot]

SLU Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information
Game 3	LMU (1-1) at Saint Louis (1-1)
Date // Time	Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 // 7 p.m.
Location	St. Louis, Mo. (Chaifetz Arena)
Chaifetz Arena	Tickets | Parking | Clear Bag Policy
Radio	KMOX 1120AM | Varsity Network App (Bob Ramsey, Earl Austin Jr.)
TV	FanDuel Sports Network (Tom Ackerman, Troy Robertson)
Stream	ESPN+ | International Streaming | FanDuel Sports Network App
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Saint Louis | LMU

SETTING THE SCENE

• Saint Louis welcomes the Loyola Marymount University Lions to Chaifetz Arena on Saturday night. Game time is 7 p.m.
• SLU is in a stretch where the Billikens are playing five of six at Chaifetz Arena. 
• Saturday's game will be televised on FanDuel Sports Network. Tom Ackerman and Troy Robertson will call the action.
• KMOX 1120 AM is the home for Billiken Basketball on the radio. Billiken Hall of Famers and longtime SLU men's basketball radio partners Bob Ramsey and Earl Austin Jr. will the call the action for all SLU games, both at home and on the road. Ramsey is in his 39th season calling SLU games, while Austin is in year No. 34. 

BILLIKEN NOTABLES

• The Billikens are coming off their first win of the Josh Schertz era, a 95-44 triumph over Avila University last Sunday.
• Gibson Jimerson led the Billikens with 28 points against Avila. He enters Saturday's game fifth all-time in scoring at SLU with 1,869 career points. With 12 points on Saturday, he would surpass Monroe Douglass (1,877) and Roland Gray (1,880)  for third on the scoring chart, leaving just Erwin Claggett (1,910) and all-time leading scorer Anthony Bonner (1,972) left to catch.
• Kellen Thames has recorded a career-high 16 points in each of the Bills' first two games to start the year. He is shooting 65 percent (13-20) from the floor. Thames recorded a career-high four steals against Avila.
• Kalu Anya leads the Billikens in rebounding with 9.5 per game, including 11 against Santa Clara.
• Larry Hughes II sank a career-high five 3-pointers en route to 15 points in the win over Avila.
• Amari McCottry had an impressive stat line against Avila, scoring five points with five rebounds, four steals and a team-leading six assists.
• Head coach Josh Schertz is in his first season at SLU. His .786 winning percentage ranks No. 8 among active coaches across all three NCAA divisions.

ABOUT THE LIONS

• Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, Calif.) plays in the West Coast Conference (WCC). The Lions enter Saturday's game with a 1-1 overall record.
• LMU opened the season with a 99-56 win over Life Pacific University (NAIA). The Lions are coming off a 66-51 loss at home to UC Irvine.   
• LMU junior forward Jevon Porter, the brother of the Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr., recorded a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds against UC Irvine. Porter played his first two seasons of college ball at Pepperdine for Lorenzo Romar. Porter averaged 16.2 points last year and was an All-Freshman team selection in 2022-23 after averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.
• Myron Amey Jr. scores 12.0 ppg for LMU, while Alex Merkviladze turns in 11.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
• LMU has size, as 10 players are listed at 6-6 or taller. KenPom ranks the Lions No. 11 in the nation in average height.
• The Lions went 12-19 last season. Head coach Stan Johnson is in his fourth season at LMU. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Saint Louis and LMU are meeting for the third time. The teams played a home-and-home in 2011 and 2012, with each team winning on its home court.
• In the first meeting on Nov. 29, 2011, the Lions defeated the Billikens 75-68 at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles. SLU had just entered the top 25, garnering the No. 23 spot after winning the 76 Classic in Anaheim the week prior.
• In the return game Dec. 22, 2012, the Bills won 65-44 at Chaifetz Arena. That win was part of a nine-game winning streak during the Billikens' 2013 A-10 Championship season. 

ROMAR RETURNS

• Former Billiken head coach Lorenzo Romar is in his first season as an assistant coach at LMU.
• Romar served as the Billikens' head coach for three seasons from 1999-02. He was 51-44 during his tenure at SLU.
• This season marks the 25th anniversary of the "Miracle in Memphis." The Romar-led Billikens reeled off four wins in four days as the Bills were crowned Conference USA champs at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn. SLU knocked off No. 1 Cincinnati along the way to the title.
• Romar's 27-year career-coaching record stands at 467-397.
• This is not the first time Romar has returned to coach against SLU at Chaifetz Arena. He brought his Washington team here in 2011-12. The Billikens won that game 77-64.

[billikenfan05]

Good job Gameday Bot!

[SluSignGuy]

https://x.com/JonRothstein/status/1857790326569676865

 

Quote

Saint Louis' Kobe Johnson (back), Kalu Anya (illness), and Kellen Thames (illness) will all be available for tonight's game against Loyola Marymount, per Josh Schertz. Thames averages 16 PPG. Anya averages 5 PPG and 9.5 RPG. Johnson has yet to play this season.

 

[dlarry]

10 minutes ago, SluSignGuy said:

https://x.com/JonRothstein/status/1857790326569676865

 

 

Good news! 
I thought it was Kobe Johnson’s shoulder? Not that it really matters.

[White Pelican]

49 minutes ago, SluSignGuy said:

https://x.com/JonRothstein/status/1857790326569676865

 

 

This is great news!

[Pistol]

1 hour ago, billikenfan05 said:

Good job Gameday Bot!

@GDT Bot is by far my favorite new poster. Doing fantastic work out here.

[almaman]

39 minutes ago, Pistol said:

@GDT Bot is by far my favorite new poster. Doing fantastic work out here.

I knew his sister!

[SluSignGuy]

Billiken Breakdown Preview

 

[Billiken Rich]

8 hours ago, almaman said:

I knew his sister!

in the biblical sense?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[laker119]

Loyola is big.  Very big.  This was known, but it’s more obvious than I realized 

[TheA_Bomb]

SLU pump up video pulling out all the production stops on this broadcast

[TheA_Bomb]

Swope is the past tense of swipe right?

As in did you see him swope that ball from the LMU PG?

[TheA_Bomb]

Jimerson doing that dig (he's done it twice now) on the ball handlers is a sign that there is some defensive coaching going on.

[slu72]

Crowd sounds really into it. 

[billikenbill]

Bills off to a sizzling start. 6-8 from the floor, 3-3 arc. 15-10 at the under 16. LMU looks pretty good as well.

[laker119]

Just now, slu72 said:

Crowd sounds really into it. 

Palpable buzz.  Would love a greater turnout but gotta focus on the positives 

[billikenbill]

Our offense is fun to watch. Anya’s FT shooting less so. Bills up 16-13.

[slu72]

Still see a lot of emptiness but it’s early season. 

[billikenbill]

Calling it now, Thames All-American 2026-27.

[laker119]

Swope 2 early fouls isn’t great.  

[billikenbill]

18-14 at the under 12.

[billikenbill]

Swope with a deep three!!

[slu72]

Junya! 

[billikenbill]

26-19, timeout Lions!!

[Lord Elrond]

As long as we keep shooting  59% FG and 63% from 3, I think we’ll do just fine…