Blood, sweat, and tears, literally, were not enough as the Webster University men’s basketball team suffered an 85-82 double-overtime loss at Greenville College on January 20. Junior forward Nick Jones (Heritage HS, IL) had a career night, pouring in 37 points, but it couldn't carry the Gorloks to victory.
Up 33-30 at the half, the Gorloks extended their lead to 10 with back-to-back three-pointers by Cody Bradfisch (FR, Jerseyville HS, IL) and a dunk by Jones with six minutes remaining. But a 9-0 run by Greenville was an ominous sign of what was to come. A 3-point basket by Greenville with nine seconds left sent the game into the first OT at 66-66. The game remained tied, 74-74, after the first OT.
In the second OT, with the score tied, Webster had the ball with 31 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Webster ran the clock under 10 and a pass found Josue Whitcomb (SR, Blue Valley West HS, KS) wide open under the basket. As Whitcomb went up for a layup, his feet slipped out from under him and he was called for travelling. Heavy fog and humidity in the area had created havoc late in the contest, with several players falling because of moisture on the court.
Greenville seized the opportunity and sank an NBA-distance three-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining to seal the win. In what was a very physical match, Jones suffered a cut to his scalp in a scuffle under the basket late in regulation. The Greenville training staff did a patchwork dressing to cover the bleeding that left Jones with an 1980s "Loverboy" headband look for the remainder of the contest.
In addition to his 37 points, Jones also had nine rebounds. Drew Moore (JR, Northwest HS, STL) had 11 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks, and Cody Bradfisch (FR, Jerseyville HS, IL) added 13 points.
The loss ended the team’s SLIAC winning streak at four and dropped them two games back in the race for first, at 5-2. Webster will have a chance to cut into that lead when they take on conference leader Westminster College on January 23 at Grant Gymnasium.
