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Amari McCottry and Ishan Sharma scored 17 points apiece to lead Saint Louis to a 90-84 victory over Missouri in a neutral-site game Friday in St. Louis, the first meeting between the in-state rivals since 2001.
Trey Green scored 16 points, Quentin Jones added 14 and Alon Michaeli had 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Billikens (2-0).
Bryson Tiller finished with a game-high 26 points and nine rebounds. Mark Mitchell added 21 points, and Jamier Jones chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (1-1).
The game was played at Enterprise Center, home of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
A judge ruled Thursday that Saint Louis center Robbie Avila was eligible for a fifth season. However, before tipoff, the College Sports Commission declared Avila ineligible because of a “violation of roster limits.”
Without Avila, who has yet to play this season, Saint Louis shot 56% from 3-point range (14 of 25). Missouri shot 33.3% (8 of 24) from beyond the arc. The Billikens held a 15-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Jones’ layup pulled Missouri within 83-78 with 2:44 remaining, but Michaeli answered with a pair of baskets to help Saint Louis build an 87-79 lead with 1:13 to play.
Earlier, Green hit two 3-pointers and McCottry added another during a 14-2 run as the Billikens jumped out to an 18-7 lead.
Missouri trimmed its deficit to 24-19 on Tiller’s dunk in transition. Moments later, Jones scored consecutive baskets in the paint to cap an 8-0 Missouri run, pulling the Tigers within 24-23.
But Saint Louis continued to connect from long range, as Green’s 3-pointer gave the Billikens a 37-28 lead with 4:45 remaining before halftime.
Kellen Thames’ layup gave Saint Louis its largest lead of the half at 49-36. Tiller’s jumper just before the halftime buzzer sent Missouri to the locker room trailing 49-38.
A deep 3-pointer from Sharma extended the Billikens’ advantage to 64-50 at the 14:03 mark of the second half.
Tiller’s dunk through traffic and Jason Crowe Jr.’s layup sparked a 6-0 Missouri run that cut the deficit to 78-72 with 6:19 remaining.
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