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St. Louis University fell behind quickly and stayed there as its season ended Tuesday with a 103-78 loss to Arkansas State in the first round of the NIT at Jonesboro, Arkansas.

SLU trailed 17-2 less than six minutes into the game, never got closer than seven points the rest of the way, spending much of the game down by double digits. By midway through the second half, SLU was trailing by 20. The 25-point loss matched SLU’s largest margin of defeat of the season.

Much of the difference came down to 3-pointers: Arkansas State made its and SLU didn’t. No one at SLU had a hot hand from outside the arc, as SLU made just 8 of 26 3-point tries. Meanwhile, Arkansas State made 16 of 34 and was well over 50 percent until missing several in the game’s closing minutes. It was the most points allowed by SLU this season, topping the 90 UMass Lowell scored in a 93-90 win for SLU in November. Arkansas State’s 16 3-pointers were most by a SLU opponent this season.

SLU finished 19-15, and the game meant Gibson Jimerson’s career at SLU is finally over, with 2,428 points. His last two games, though, weren’t his best. After scoring just four points and missing all five of his 3-point tries against Loyola Chicago in SLU’s quarterfinal loss in the Atlantic 10 tournament, he had just eight points, making just 2 of 11 3-pointers against Arkansas State.

Robbie Avila led SLU with 22 points, and freshman Amari McCottry had his season-high in scoring for the second time in three games, scoring 20 on 8 of 10 shooting.

SLU trailed 50-37 at the half, and had trailed by as much as 18 points earlier on. The reason was Arkansas State hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer. It finished the first half having made 10 of 18, while SLU had made just four of 14. Jimerson missed his first five 3s, and this after going 0 for 5 against Loyola Chicago in SLU’s last game at the Atlantic 10 tournament. Avila had 11 points and McCottry had eight, and both had five rebounds.

The only promising stretch of the half for SLU was a 9-0 run that brought the Billikens within seven points. SLU even had the ball, but an illegal screen by Dylan Warlick gave the ball back to Arkansas State, which then hit 3-pointers on its next three possessions (and four of five) so even while SLU was scoring, it was falling behind, trailing 43-28 with 3:56 to go.

SLU got within nine in the second half before Arkansas State pulled away.