SportsLine.com Report
March 16, 2000

Round 1: Billikens shoot themselves out of tourney

Saint Louis could make a case that bad luck cost them a trip to the second round of the tournament, following a 48-45 loss to No. 8 seed Utah in Cleveland.

But even after the Utes' Jeff Johnsen hit a desperation 3-pointer to put Utah ahead 46-44 with 1:43 remaining, the ninth-seeded Billikens had a chance to force overtime. But a missed free throw on the back end of a one-and-one left the Billikens down one, and told the story of a poorly-executed game.

Lorenzo Romar's team hit just 16 of 44 (36.4 percent) of its shots, and Dave Fergerson's wide-open look at a 3-pointer on the final shot clanked off the back rim to seal Saint Louis' fate.

"We knew Utah was going to come out and play good defense on us. We gave good defense to them, too," Romar said. "But we missed 13 out of 22 free throws and that's certainly not going to help."

Utah hit just 9 of 19 free throws and 39 percent of its shots in a game that featured seven ties. Neither team led by more than five points, but the Billikens led most of the second half and appeared to be gaining control before Johnsen heaved his shot from the left wing with the shot clock about to expire.

That was enough to stay ahead of a Billikens offense that was led by Maurice Jeffers' 10 points. Justin Love managed only nine points -- less than half of his 18.5-point average.

How They Got There

Saint Louis earned Conference USA's automatic bid after beating DePaul in the conference tournament title game, becoming the lowest-seeded team (ninth) to pull the trick, winning four games in four days.

The Billikens had fallen off the NCAA Tournament bubble by losing five of their last six Conference USA games, but bounced back to beat three of the league rivals they lost to during that stretch -- Southern Miss, Cincinnati (after Kenyon Martin broke his leg) and DePaul.

To their credit, they played one of the toughest schedules in the country, featuring non-league foes Missouri (win), Dayton (win), Kansas (loss) and Southwest Missouri State (loss).

Starting Lineup

• PG Dave Fergerson (6-0, 175, Sr.): Fergerson was beaten out by hotshot freshman Marque Perry earlier this season, only to regain the role when Perry went down with a season-ending injury. He is not much of an offensive threat, but if he can keep his turnovers to a minimum, he is doing his job.
• SG Justin Love (6-2, 210, Sr.): One of the most capable scorers that few outside of Conference USA know about. He has 24 double-digit games to his credit. Although Love likes to shoot the 3-pointer, he hits the glass and finds his way to the free-throw line eight or ten times a game.
• C Chris Heinrich (6-11, 255, Jr.): Good defensive presence whose offense never developed this season. He's also prone to foul trouble and should be a better rebounder, but he's big enough to make a difference inside when he's in the game.
• SF Maurice Jeffers (6-2, 195, Jr.): A JUCO transfer, he hasn't been the dependable No. 2 scorer that the Billikens hoped he would become. His 3-point shot is erratic (about 23 percent) and he plays a little tentative sometimes. However, he is capable of contributing 10-12 points -- a good night if Love is on his game.
• PF Matt Baniak (6-9, 235, Jr.): Solid but unspectacular, a big body who does the dirty work despite playing only 18-20 minutes a game. He's not going to take over games, but he makes the Billikens function better by setting screens and picks, and by hitting the offensive glass hard.

Keys to Success

First and foremost, it is making sure that senior guard Justin Love gets good looks and scores 20-plus points. When he gets 20 or more, the Billikens are 12-3.

Another key is for senior Dave Fergerson to cut down on his turnovers.

In three of the seven games he's started since freshman Marque Perry dislocated his ankle, he's committed four or more turnovers. That could be something teams exploit.

When the Billikens hold the opposition beneath 60 points, they are 7-3. They held their four conference tournament opponents to beneath 60 points and 39 percent shooting.

The Coach

When Lorenzo Romar came to Saint Louis from Pepperdine, the obvious question was: Why? As he explained, he saw a program with potential, a team that could get somewhere fast since it had a nice natural recruiting base just outside campus.

In three previous years of coaching he posted a 42-44 record. He has already done a solid job after taking over from coaching legend Charlie Spoonhour, taking over a team full of Spoonhour's guys and getting them into the Big Dance.

The Bench

Senior guard John Redden (6-1, 190) is a good defender who will see quality minutes and provide some scoring punch. Freshman forward Chris Braun (6-10, 235) redshirted last season, but instantly gave the team muscle in the paint. Junior forward Justin Tatum (6-7, 235) is the team's second leading scorer and its top rebounder. Senior swingman Troy Robertson's (6-4, 200) numbers dropped from last season, but he still gives the Billikens experience in 8-10 minutes a game.

Offense

Saint Louis' offensive philosophy is simple: Get the ball to Love. ... 11-0 when scoring 75 or more points. ... The Billikens like to run, though they average about 65 points per game. ... Hitting 34.7 percent of their 3-point attempts and 69.6 percent on free throws. ... Turn the ball over 18 times a game.

Defense

They are an aggressive defensive team that allows just under 65 points per game, which isn't much of a margin for error for a sometimes-erratic offense. ... 10-2 when they have 10 or more steals in a game, which they've done in three of their past four contests. ... Saint Louis is 7-3 when holding teams below 60 points, 9-4 when teams score between 61-70 points and 3-6 when allowing 71 or more points.