PITTSBURGH
Saint Louis did not have its fastball, its rhythm or much margin for error Wednesday night — and it didn’t matter.
The Billikens leaned on toughness, poise and just enough late-game execution to escape with an 81-77 road win over Duquesne, improving to 18-1 overall and remaining unbeaten in Atlantic 10 play. It was the kind of victory that doesn’t look pretty in the box score but looms large in March, the kind contenders stack when the league knows who they are and comes swinging.
Duquesne delivered its best shot inside the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, matching Saint Louis physically and emotionally for 40 minutes. The Dukes pressured the ball, contested every cut and forced the Billikens to grind through possessions that rarely came easy. Saint Louis missed open looks it normally buries and struggled to find flow for long stretches. Still, the Billikens never cracked.
That resilience has become a defining trait under Josh Schertz, the former Indiana State architect who has quickly turned Saint Louis into one of the nation’s most reliable teams. Schertz’s group stayed connected defensively, rebounded through contact and executed late — hallmarks of a coach who understands that road wins in January often say more than blowouts in November.
At the center of it all was Robert Avila — college basketball’s beloved “Larry Nerd” — who continues to prove his story was never a one-season novelty. Avila steadied Saint Louis when the game threatened to tilt, making the right reads, finishing through traffic and calmly knocking down critical looks down the stretch. His feel for the game remains elite, his confidence unmistakable. America’s favorite cult hero from the 2023-24 season is no longer just a phenomenon; he’s a constant.
America is starting to take notice.
Saint Louis used that steadiness late to blunt every Duquesne surge. When the Dukes trimmed the margin and the building surged, the Billikens responded with patience, strong spacing and defensive stops that forced Duquesne to work deep into the shot clock. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective — the exact formula that wins in hostile environments.
The victory keeps Saint Louis perfect in conference play and reinforces its status as one of the Atlantic 10’s standard-bearers. At 18-1, the Billikens have already collected the type of road win the selection committee values, surviving a game where execution wavered but resolve never did.
More importantly, this win underscores what separates good teams from great ones. Saint Louis didn’t need its best night. It needed grit, toughness and trust — in its system, its coach and its star. It found all three.
As the A-10 schedule grinds on and the target grows larger, nights like this will matter most. Saint Louis took Duquesne’s punch, stayed upright and walked out with a win. That’s not just survival. That’s growth — and a warning to the rest of the league.
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