Billikens battle inconsistency but hang on for 73-61 win over Central Arkansas
ST. LOUIS — Javon Bess had 19 points and Jordan Goodwin added 18 to lead Saint Louis to a 73-61 victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.
Goodwin grabbed six rebounds while dishing out six assists. Tramaine Isabell Jr added 13 points and Carte'Are Gordon chipped in 10 with nine rebounds and three blocked shots for Saint Louis (5-1) which fell to Pitt 75-73 in The Barclays Center Classic on Wednesday for its only loss. The Billikens will face Butler next Saturday.
.@SaintLouisMBB just defeated Central Arkansas, but Travis Ford says his team still has lots of room for improvement: "We've got to quit fouling, we've got to do a better job of playing 1-on-1 defense, we've got to do a better job of converting and putting the ball in the hole." pic.twitter.com/wWPsG7ry2K
— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) November 24, 2018
The Billikens sprinted to an early lead, going up by 13, before Central Arkansas rallied to close to 34-30 at the break. The Bears stayed within single digits of catching Saint Louis until Gordon slammed home a dunk for a 63-53 advantage with 3:25 remaining. Bess made four straight free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.
Deandre Jones had 22 points to lead Central Arkansas (2-4), which now has lost three straight games.
