ST. LOUIS (AP) - After getting a close-up look, Fordham coach Tom Pecora could only wonder why it took so long for Saint Louis to crack the Top 25.
“This is an exceptional league,” Pecora said after a 70-48 Atlantic 10 loss to the 24th-ranked Billikens on Saturday. “You would think coming off last year that they would get more respect.”
Dwayne Evans had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Jordair Jett lacked a rebound for his first career double-double.
Saint Louis (17-2, 4-0 Atlantic 10) has won 11 straight games. Fordham (7-10, 0-4) was held to season lows for first-half scoring and game scoring on 29 percent shooting.
“For us to come in and win this game, we have to have four if not five guys play ’A’ games, and we have to catch them flat,” Pecora said. “That’s how good they are and that’s where we are in this process.”
Freshman Jon Severe scored 22 points and had half of the Rams’ 18 baskets. But even Severe, who leads Division I freshmen with a 21-point average, was not immune from criticism because he was just 9-for-25.
“That’s not the kind of game he’s capable of having,” Pecora said. “But the thing that’s great about Jon is he’s playing poorly and he’s still scoring.
“So, when he figures it out, he’s going to be pretty good.”
The lone senior in the starting lineup, and the other half of the highest scoring backcourt duo in the conference, wasn’t much help. Branden Frazier was scoreless on 0-for-10 shooting with three assists and three turnovers.
“It’s hard enough to be a freshman,” Pecora said. “When you don’t have a veteran saying, ’Hey, kid, here’s how you do it, watch me,’ it’s difficult.”
Jett had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists and topped 1,000 career points with two free throws late in the game. He had eight rebounds in the first half, already topping his previous career best by one.
Fordham has lost six straight and trails the series 9-1. The point total was their lowest by 10.
“They’re so young I’m cutting their meet at the pre-game meal,” Pecora said. “It’s a challenge, but we’ll be all right.”
Mike McCall added 12 points and seven rebounds for Saint Louis.
Fordham shot 19 percent in the first half and trailed 30-16, by far the lowest first-half total for a school averaging 76.6 points. Saint Louis scored the first seven points of the second half, including two baskets inside from Evans to cap a 13-0 run that made it 39-16.
The Rams made only two of their first 23 shots, including 0 for 6 by Frazier and 1 for 8 by Severe. Saint Louis needed time to capitalize because it missed its first nine 3-point attempts, three by McCall, and was 1 for 15 from long range in the half.
Strong defense helped the Billikens establish control. Grandy Glaze and John Manning blocked shots during a 13-0 run that included 8-for-8 free throw shooting that made it 22-7 with 4:43 to go.
Fordham’s previous first-half low was 28 points against Richmond. It was Saint Louis’ stingiest first half by a point.
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