Rivalry Renewed: Raucous Fans Relish Billiken Victory Over Tigers

It was an eruption 25 years in the making.

As the seconds ticked down the Saint Louis University student section inside Enterprise Center was primed to explode. The sea of blue positioned behind one of the baskets got loud. Some students pulled out phones, wanting to document the final seconds of a major Billiken win.

When the final horn sounded, the Billikens secured a 90-84 win over the University of Missouri Tigers. The World's Greatest Pep Band hit the music and the fans exploded. Billiken players made their way to the locker room and shared hugs and hi-fives with their fellow students.

"We couldn't have done it without them," said Billiken guard Quentin Jones. "They poured a lot into us and gave us a lot of energy."

Friday's matchup was the first time since 2001 that SLU and Mizzou have faced off in a men's basketball game. Moments after the game ended, Bryden Fuemmeler, College of Arts and Sciences student, said the game was already a top highlight of his time at SLU.

"The atmosphere was electric on both sides," said Fuemmeler,. "Props to the Mizzou fans for traveling and props to the SLU fans for packing this place."

SLU head coach Josh Schertz said that while the game was considered a neutral site game and Mizzou was officially a home team, his team felt right at home thanks to the thousands of Billikens fans that packed Enterprise.

"I don't know what the ratio of blue to black was, but it felt like a home game in there with the pops when we went on runs," Schertz said. "Our fans were amazing. They put the wind at our back and certainly were a huge part of why we were able to come away with a win."

The passion from the fans started early. An hour before tip-off the Billiken led a brass band down Tucker Boulevard toward the arena.

Fans from both schools filled the arena, but some fans noted the Billiken crowd seemed larger, and louder.

"The St. Louis atmosphere, rallying around SLU, was just amazing," SLU alum Meg Murphy said. "The fact the SLU side was more crowded was awesome. It was a really good game."

Mizzou opened the scoring and the black-and-gold crowd responded loudly. When SLU forward Ishan Sharma responded with a three-pointer, it was time for the Billiken faithful to rejoice.

Abi Honzel, a trumpeter in the World's Greatest Pep Band, said the atmosphere was incredible.

"I am having a blast," Honzel said at halftime. "The energy in this stadium is insane. There's so much blue - it's everywhere."

After Mizzou's early lead, the Billikens took over. SLU's sharpshooters sank shot after shot. SLU led for 38:45 of the 40-minute contest.

"I love going to the tournament games, but this is maybe one of the most insane games," Honzel said. "There's so many students here and it's so awesome."

Tailgate Brings the Energy

Before the game even started, the fan base was energized.

Hundreds of Billiken fans packed into the Spruce Street parking lot a stone's throw from Enterprise Center for the pre-game Billiken Tailgate Party. The party was buzzing with energy hours before kick-off. Alums mingled with current students while a DJ played hit after hit. Crowds gathered around a basketball and put up shots while waiting for the real basketball to start.

Eric Wilson and Nick Reder never got to see SLU take on Mizzou while students. Like every other Billiken fan, the two class of 2009 alums had waited 25 years for the rivals to take the court in a men's basketball game. Reder traveled from Cincinnati while Wilson made the journey from California just to watch the game.

"We came in for this and all the excitement around it," Reder said. "It's an obvious rivalry. It should fuel passion for basketball in the area. It's two schools that get a lot of notoriety, I think because of their conference and football; they get a little bit more, but it's our chance to show that, when it comes to basketball in the state of Missouri, SLU is the premier."

It wasn't just seeing SLU take on Mizzou that brought the crowd to the tailgate. SLU started the 2026-27 campaign with a 1-0 record following a school-record 29-win season in 2025-26. The Billikens shared the A10 regular-season championship and earned an NCAA Tournament berth, defeating Georgia in the first round before falling to eventual national champion Michigan in the second round.

"If last season was any indication of the promise of this team, it's really exciting to see where we go from here," Wilson said.

Current students also showed up at the rally in droves. Wearing SLU gear and temporary Billiken tattoos, current Billikens were ready to see SLU in an early-season big game.

"It's insane that we're playing Mizzou after, what, 25 years?" said Gaby Trad, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences. "I'm so ready to feel the atmosphere in the room because I know it's going to be great."

Trad and her friend Julia Vitale, a School of Science and Engineering student, are both seniors and said they were looking forward to making some memories before their time at SLU is over. The trip to the tailgate was part of that process - they showed up without tickets and put their names on a list in hopes of seeing the game in person. Before the tailgate wound down and the crowd marched to Enterprise, the duo found out they got tickets.

"I'm super excited," Vitale said. "I'm excited to see them beat Mizzou."