Surprising Billikens still evolving as a team

ST. LOUIS — Having witnessed his team's latest efficient display, Saint Louis coach Rick Majerus took nine seconds to summarize why this collection of talent is the best he has led in five seasons at the school. A short time earlier, the Billikens — a half game behind Temple for the Atlantic 10 Conference lead — had routed lowly Fordham 66-46 on Saturday at Chaifetz Arena and earned their third six-game winning streak of the season. This group, Majerus said, meets each test with respect.

"That's the whole secret," he said. "You don't play the opposition. Everyone knows it's a big game. But they're all big games."

What occurred before 9,173 eager fans against an opponent that entered as the second-worst in the league proved that Majerus' words have meaning beyond the day's predictable result. The surprising Billikens — now with 22 victories and one short of the most they have earned in a single season under Majerus — have matured from an early season curiosity to a late-year contender. Three remaining regular-season challenges will reveal whether or not they are A-10 championship quality.

But the Billikens are allowed to become lost in the moment, no matter what happens in the season's final three weeks. Aside from the 23 victories earned in the 2009-10 season, they have had only two campaigns in the last 14 years with at least 20 victories. Their consistent play since starting the season by winning 12 of their first 13 games has showed that, yes, what they accomplished against Washington, Boston College, Villanova and Oklahoma was no fluke.

Take Saturday's result as the latest proof of their ability to evolve. At times, Saint Louis' first-half effort was sloppy and jarring. Before halftime, the Billikens shot 33.3 percent from the floor and never held a lead greater than five points until junior forward Cody Ellis swished two consecutive 3-point attempts in the final minute to give Saint Louis a 26-16 advantage at the break. (He led his team in a jog toward the locker room by screaming, "Let's go!")

But the second half had a much different outcome. The Billikens' 10-point cushion became 21 less than seven minutes after the teams returned. They followed the anemic first-half performance with a 15-of-31 effort to end 41-percent shooting overall.

There were many names to credit for the improvement, and three stood out. Ellis had a game-high 20 points, junior guard Kwamain Mitchell had 16 and sophomore guard Mike McCall Jr had 11. Meanwhile, only junior forward Chris Gaston (14) and freshman guard Bryan Smith (10) earned double-digit scoring for the Rams.

Defense is one reason for the Billikens' success this season. Fordham — like Dayton, La Salle and Richmond before them — became the fourth Saint Louis opponent in the Billikens' last five games to score fewer than 60 points. Entering Saturday, Majerus' team led the A-10 in scoring defense by allowing an average of 60.7 per game — almost five points less than second-place St. Bonaventure.

"Offensively, it's probably not where it needs to be right now at this time of the year," said Saint Louis senior forward Brian Conklin, who finished with three points. "But we're not worried at all — as long as we're playing defense, we're going to be able to knock down shots."

Conklin might be at peace about Saint Louis' offensive struggles, but it represents an area where the Billikens must improve if they have visions of enjoying a long postseason. They began the day ranked eighth in the A-10 in scoring offense with an average of 68.7 points per game — almost eight less than leader Temple. Saint Louis appeared rushed, even confused at times, when missing shots near the basket early in the first half.

No team is without flaw, but the Billikens know their season is turning serious. Saint Louis is deep enough into its conference schedule where it has proven itself as a contender. When the Billikens play strong defense and find a rhythm from the floor as they did in the second half Saturday, they look like they are worthy of their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2000. Such performances allow Saint Louis to consider how far this season could go.

"Those games we played at the beginning of the season were very important, but now we're starting to get to tournament time," Mitchell said. "Every game right now counts. We're just taking everything little by little and hope we get into the tournament as soon as it is over."

But Mitchell and others can do more than hope. If the Billikens keep their focus and improve their defense in the process, they can end this season with the same satisfaction that has defined their campaign to this point. They have achieved a chemistry that was not present in previous years under Majerus.

The coach is right: For the Billikens, each game is a big game. Especially now.