ST. LOUIS — The SLU Billikens finished their regular season strong on Monday night at Chaifetz Arena.
The Billikens closed out their COVID-19 impacted 2020-2021 regular season with a 78-57 win over UMass.
It was senior night for guards Jordan Goodwin and Joshua Hightower, as well as forward Hashan French.
For French and Goodwin it was the end of the road for one of the most dominant duos in the history of SLU basketball. Both are expected to pursue professional opportunities after the conclusion of the season.
And in their final game in St. Louis, they showed up. Goodwin had another double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He also added eight assists.
French added 12 points and six rebounds.
Senior Javonte Perkins, who recently announced he would be taking advantage of new NCAA rules allowing an extra year of eligibility, notched 16 points in the victory.
SLU finishes the regular season with a 13-5 record, missing around a month of games due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the team.
They'll now head to the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which begins on Wednesday. By most accounts the Billikens are on the bubble for selection into the NCAA Tournament, and likely need to win or at least have a deep run in the A-10 Tournament to claim a spot in the big dance. The A-10 tournament begins Wednesday, but the Billikens have a double-bye and will play Friday.
The Billikens were last in the NCAA Tournament in the 2018-19 season after they made an improbable run through the A-10 tournament to earn an automatic bid.