Illinois State left Chaifetz Arena with another clean result Saturday afternoon, beating Saint Louis 72-55 to move to 5-0. Nevaeh Thomas led the way with 19 points as the Redbirds stayed unbeaten and matched the best start in the Kristen Gillespie era.
The win was built early. Illinois State led 23-12 after the opening quarter and 33-22 at halftime, then pushed the margin to 47-38 entering the fourth before closing it out from there. Saint Louis briefly got within five in the third quarter, but the Redbirds answered and later stretched the lead to 63-42, a run that turned a tight stretch into a comfortable road victory.
That mattered because this was not just another early-season game for SLU basketball; it was the kind of road test that shows whether an unbeaten start can travel. Illinois State also held Saint Louis to 25 percent shooting from the field, or 7-for-28, and the defense did enough to keep the Billikens from finding a sustained answer once the game tightened.
The larger picture is straightforward. Illinois State has now opened 5-0, a mark that equals the best start in the Kristen Gillespie era and adds to a strong beginning after the season opener against Chicago State, when five players scored 10 or more. Thomas was the top scorer again here, but the result also showed a deeper pattern: when Saint Louis made a push, Illinois State still had enough size, balance and poise to take the game back.
Saint Louis fell to 2-2, while Illinois State left with a road win that says more than the score alone. If the Redbirds keep defending like this, the next question is not whether they have started well. It is how long they can keep a perfect record intact.
