Saint Louis University beat George Washington University 88-81 in the quarterfinal round of the A-10 men's basketball tournament on Friday, March 13, 2026, but this wasn't just any win. SLU trailed by 21 points late in the first half and 14 points at halftime, but overcame an uncharacteristic slow start to win 88-81. The tournament-opening matchup showed exactly why the Billikens are the Atlantic 10's top seed—they never quit.
Robbie Avila had 22 points in Saint Louis' 88-81 win over George Washington, and the A-10 Player of the Year made the clutch plays when it mattered most. Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Robbie Avila made three 3-pointers on three straight possessions, giving the Billikens a 68-67 lead with 8:18 remaining. After George Washington scratched back to nearly steal it, Saint Louis sealed the win at the free-throw line, converting four late attempts as George Washington ran out of time.
Top-seed Saint Louis takes on No. 4 seed Dayton Saturday in a semifinal round matchup at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. with tipoff slated for noon CT. The winner of Saturday's game advances to the A-10 Championship game on Sunday, March 15, at noon CT. The Billikens have set SLU single-season records for 3-pointers made (350) and points (2,810), and they're playing like a team on a mission heading to March Madness. With wins on Saturday and Sunday, the Billikens would automatically clinch a spot in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. Even if that doesn't happen, SLU has a strong case for an at-large bid, particularly due to their scoring (87.8 points per game) as the Billikens rank 11th out of 365 qualified NCAA Division I college basketball teams.