SLU Billikens Earn Second Postseason Bid In Program History

UPDATE

A last-second Little Rock shot went off the rim as the Billikens survived with a 70-69 win on Thursday night. Jackie Kemph had 20 points and seven assists to lead SLU.

Despite the loss, Little Rock’s Shanity James, a native of St. Louis, was the player of the game. She had 25 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

The Billikens will host Ball State on the evening of Monday, February 21 in the second round of the WNIT.

ORIGINAL STORY

Coming off the best regular season in program history, the Saint Louis University women’s basketball team has earned a bid to play in the Women’s National InvitationTournament. The Billikens will open WNIT play this Thursday at Chaifetz Arena against Little Rock at 7 pm.

The Billikens will be playing in just their second postseason game in the history of the program. In 2003, SLU lost an opening round WNIT game to Iowa after earning a tournament bid with a 17-13 record.

In the 2015-16 season coach Lisa Stone’s team finished 24-7 overall and at 13-3 in the Atlantic 10, finished as A-10 regular  co-champions. The team also earned a host of individual honors.

Lisa Stone was named the A-10 Coach of the Year. In her fourth season at Saint Louis and 30th in college coaching overall, Stone has been steadily building the program in her mold since her arrival in 2012 after a stint at Wisconsin.  She was also named the High Major National Coach of the Year by College Sports Madness.

Sophomore Jackie Kemph was named A-10 Co-Player of the year. Jackie led the conference and was fifth in the nation with 7 assists per game. She led the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game, which ranked third overall in the A-10. Kemph already ranks third overall in the program’s history with 392 career assists. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said earlier this season, she’s the “driving force” for the team.

In other A-10 honors earned by the team, Kemph was also named to the All-Academic Team. Jamesia Pricewas named to the All-Defensive Team. Price, a redshirt senior,  ranks second in program history in assists and first in steals. Kemph was named to the A-10 First Team, while junior Said Stipanovich was named to the A-10 Third Team.

Little Rock is currently 20-12 on the season. The team earned a #2 seed overall in the Sun Belt Tournament but fell in the Championship to Troy. The Trojans are led ins coring by Shanity James’s 15.3 points per game. James is a graduate of Miller Career Academy here in St. Louis. When she accepted her scholarship to Little Rock she became the first athlete from the school to accept a Division 1 athletic scholarship.

Ticket to Thursday’s opening-round WNIT game against Little Rock begin at $10 for adults and $5 for kids. The can be purchased online or at the Chaifetz Arena box office on the Saint Louis University campus.

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