The St. Louis Billikens now know their opponent in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament after first round action concluded last night. The seventh-seeded La Salle Explorers defeated the Richmond Spiders 80-72 on Tuesday night to improve to 21-11 overall (9-7 in conference) to set-up a matchup with St. Louis. The Billikens and Explorers will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. In one previous meeting this season, St. Louis topped the Explorers 59-51 on Feb. 11.
Perhaps the most intriguing game of the quarterfinals will be fourth-seeded St. Bonaventure vs. No. 5 St. Joseph's. In the two teams only meeting of the season on Feb. 29, the Bonnies downed St. Joseph's 98-93 in two overtimes.
Here's a look at all the quarterfinals action for Friday:
Friday, March 9 -- Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinals
No. 1 Temple vs. No. 8 Massachusetts, 11 a.m.
No. 4 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 5 St. Joseph's, 1:30 p.m.
No. 2 St Louis vs. No. 7 La Salle, 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 6 Dayton, 8:00 p.m.
Here's the complete bracket:
For more on this matchup and the impending March Madness season, check out SB Nation's college hoops news hub. Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more Billikens' recaps, preview and news updates. Click here for more on the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament.