The St. Louis Billikens looked like they were in trouble after the first half against Xavier, but coach Rick Majerus' team woke up in the second half and ran away with a 70-59 victory at Chaifetz Arena. St. Louis trailed by 10 at halftime, but out-scored the Musketeers 41-20 in the second half to secure the victory. The win improves St. Louis to 23-6 overall and 11-4 in the Atlantic-10, while Xavier falls to 18-11 and 9-6 in conference.
Forward Brian Conklin keyed the second half run for the Billikens. Conklin finished with a game-high 23 points and six rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting. Guard Kwamain Mitchell had 14 points for St. Louis in the win. Guard Mike McCall added 10 points for Billikens.
Xavier guard Mark Lyons had 19 points. Dezmine Wells added 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for Xavier.
For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub or the Xavier blog Banners On The Parkway. Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more Billikens' recaps, preview and news updates.