Atlantic 10 Conference Basketball Fans

Saint Louis vs Rhode Island Basketball Recap

St. Louis 62, Rhode Island 57

On Wednesday night in the Gateway City of America, two teams joined the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They did so from opposite sides of the spectrum.

A team that once looked to be safely in the NCAA Tournament is now uncertain about its postseason plans, while another team far removed from the Big Dance discussion table now finds itself fully immersed in the conversation. Rhode Island, welcome to a bubble world you never wanted to revisit. Saint Louis, welcome to BubbleVille after existing off everyone's radar for the first few months of the season.

Coach Rick Majerus knows how to take a program removed from the high-major spotlight and turn it into something special. The maestro who worked wonders at Utah and guided the Utes to the 1998 national championship game is doing his thing again in the shadows of the Gateway Arch. An SLU program that has floundered in recent seasons is finally finding its footing in the Atlantic 10. This 2010 campaign has always been a study in the power of perseverance for the men of Majerus, and this five-point triumph over a struggling Rhode Island outfit mirrored the nature of the Billikens' journey.

This season started slow for SLU. The Billikens lost to Iowa State and Notre Dame on Thanksgiving weekend before dropping a decision at Georgia on Dec. 2. Those three losses will make it hard for this team to get to the NCAAs, but they formed the basis for a learning curve that has now taken root in the minds  of Majerus's players. Saint Louis lost two of three overtime games in the month of January, but the team that didn't appear ready to make a splash in the A-10 back in late November had suddenly found its competitive character. As February began, the Billikens started winning regularly, and now they've taken down two NCAA aspirants - Dayton and URI - in succession at the cozy confines of Chaifetz Arena.

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This rousing win over coach Jim Baron's Rams bore an uncanny resemblance to SLU's season-long progression. The Billikens fell behind by 12 points in the first half and trailed 37-26 with 17:26 to play in regulation. Then, brick by brick (from Rhode Island, that is...), the home team mounted its comeback with a series of defensive stops. Saint Louis frustrated the Rams with increasingly sharp and seamless defensive rotations. URI hoisted long threes as the second half progressed, a clear sign that the visitors from New England weren't willing to put in the work needed to solve Majerus's well-devised defense. The fact that URI made only 5 of 13 foul shots didn't help, and as a result, SLU surged down the stretch.

Having narrowed an 11-point gap to just two points - at 49-47 - with 7:41 left, the Billikens claimed complete control thereafter. Saint Louis limited URI to one bucket over the next seven minutes and 25 seconds. With only 16 seconds left in the game, SLU - on the strength of a 14-2 run created entirely by its defense - owned a 61-51 advantage. A few token garbage buckets by the Rams couldn't mask the extent of the Billikens' late-stage supremacy, and now the Atlantic 10 has a wider and more cluttered bubble.

Saint Louis is still unlikely to make the NCAAs, mind you, but with Xavier and Temple coming to Missouri in the next few weeks; SLU will have a shot to rack up more quality wins. If Rick Majerus can thread the needle and beat every remaining team on the slate, the arrival of Selection Sunday will be accompanied by some intrigue in the Show Me State.

Arch Madness, indeed.

By: Matt Zemek
A10-fans.com Staff Writer