(Fulton, Mo.) – The Webster Gorloks slipped past the Westminster Blue Jays 59-56 on Wednesday evening at Westminster in Fulton, Mo. Webster won its seventh straight game and eight of its last nine.
The Gorloks (12-5, 8-0 SLIAC) made only three of its first 13 shots but were still tied at 11-11 in part because of their ability to get to the foul line. The Blue Jays (10-6, 6-3 SLIAC) shooting kept them in the game for the entire half answering Webster basket for basket. WU took its first lead of the game 12-11 on a three-point play from Brad Robinson halfway through the frame. WC battled back to take a 21-19 lead with less than five minutes to play in the stanza but a Corey Kuhn three put Webster ahead for the remainder of the half as it built its largest lead of the half at 29-23 with a minute to play but Westminster came right back scoring the final four points to cut the lead to only a bucket at the intermission.
The Blue Jays out shoot the Gorloks by a 44 percent to 36 percent clip in the frame but WU was 9-of-10 at the charity stripe compared to only 1-of-2 for WC. Robinson had eight points to lead Webster while Steve Hrdlicka added seven more. Westminster had three guys with five points apiece.
The Gorloks started the second half by scoring the first nine points extending their lead to 38-27 only two minutes in. As was the case in the opening frame the Blue Jays got hot from downtown and cut the lead back to a field goal with 13 minutes to play. The game remained tight over the next nine minutes with Webster holding no more than a six point lead. Westminster continued to battle and cut a 52-44 lead to a point with 2:09 to play. After a Darin Hoggatt lay-up extended the lead back to three the Blue Jays tied it on a three pointer by Landon Kurz with 1:24 to go. Webster answered right back when Kuhn found Ryan Turk with a bullet pass under the bucket for a lay-up to regain the lead. After a pair of Andrew Buxton free throws tied it back up the Gorloks had a chance to retake the lead but turned it over giving Westminster a chance at the final shot. Webster got a second chance when Turk stole a pass from Buxton and got fouled with 6.5 seconds left he made the first then missed the second but Josue’ Whitcomb hustled after the miss and fired it to Turk who laid it in with 2.6 left to make it 59-56. After a Blue Jay time-out Cade House got a good look at a possible game tying shot but the ball hit off the top of the back board as time expired to give WU the win.
Robinson tied his career-high with 16 points to lead Webster and was joined in double figures by Hoggatt with 10.
Buxton finished with 12 to lead the Jays, 10 in the second half, while Jason Warncke dropped in 11.
