A regular season of ups and downs for Duquesne ends on Saturday, taking on Saint Louis on the road. The Billikens still have an outside shot at a double-bye to the Atlantic 10 Tournament, while the Dukes can finish anywhere from a 7 seed and get a first-round bye to getting a 10 seed and playing in the first round.
Saint Louis has had big highs and just as big lows in league play. Here are the keys to the Dukes getting a key road win.
1. Slowing down Gibson Jimmerson of the “Big 3”
What makes the Billikens so unique is that 90% of its production comes from three main players.
Gibson Jimerson - 17.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg
Robbie Avila - 17.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 4.4 apg
Isaiah Swope - 16.3 ppg and 4.4 apg
History.
— Saint Louis Men's Basketball (@SaintLouisMBB) January 9, 2025
Gibson Jimerson is your all-time leader in 3-Pointers Made in the Atlantic 10 Conference.#SLUForTheLou pic.twitter.com/fV6LodPH4e
All three will be key to defend if you’re Duquesne. But the person they can least afford to go off is Jimerson, who makes 37% of his three-point shots at nine a game. He’s the all-time Atlantic 10 leader in three-pointers and went 9/17 from deep (33 points total) in a win over Loyola-Chicago, one of the stronger defenses in the A-10. He’s elite off ball-screens so Duquesne’s defense needs to be focused all game while he’s on the floor, capable of torching any opposing unit.
2. 3-point battle will be key
The three-point shot is going to be a major key in this game on both sides. Saint Louis is at the top of the A-10 in attempts at nearly 28 a game, while Duquesne is at the top on the defensive end, allowing fewer than 20 a game. The Dukes will want to force the ball inside, while the Billikens will want a barrage of long balls to try and doom the road team. Duquesne isn’t built to win shootouts so how many threes they allow will determine how good a chance they have at the road upset.
3. Max Edwards the x-factor
One bright spot for the Dukes in the recent loss to VCU was Edwards, who had a team-high 20 points off the bench. He had 14 points in the win over George Mason but had five single-digit scoring outings prior. Edwards can go off for the Dukes or be a non-factor, and against one of the best offenses in the A-10, they’ll particularly need his scoring ability to have a shot at the win,