Erasing an eight point deficit with three minutes remaining in the game, the Webster University women defeated Fontbonne University, 72-68, to advance to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournament championship. The Gorloks took their first lead since the opening seconds of the contest, 71-68, on a basket and the bonus with 16 seconds left by Tori Fenemor (SO, St. Charles HS). A steal by Tyeila Gant (JR, Penn Valley CC, MO), fleecing a Griffin guard driving up court off the inbound pass, sealed the victory.
Webster and Fontbonne faced each other three times in 2011, and all three games were decided in the final 16 seconds or less of each contest. Following a pattern of the first two meetings, Fontbonne opened up a large lead, only to see it disappear late in the second half.
The Gorloks trailed by 11 at the half and were still down by eight when Fenemor and Maggie Zehner (SO, Oakville HS) both hit a pair of free throws in a 10-second span to pull Webster within four, 65-61, at 2:57 in the second. A basket by Fenemor and a three-pointer by Airyn Miller (SO, Belleville West HS, IL) tied the game at 68-68. A Fontbonne turnover followed, opening the gates for Fenemor’s go-ahead basket.
In a truly team effort, all five Gorlok starters scored between 11-14 points and contributed highlights to the win. Miller had key three-pointers to keep Webster in the game and dished out five assists. Katy Meyer (SR, Parkway Central HS) had 13 points and shared the team-high with nine rebounds.
Megan Willett (JR, Parkway West HS) had nine rebounds and shot five for six from the field, while playing a strong defensive game. Zehner also had a stellar defensive effort, handing out four assists and racking up a season-high six steals. Molly Zehner (SR, Oakville HS), who scored six points in limited minutes of play, was one of several players who came off the bench to contribute to the win as well.
After the conclusion of the contest, the SLIAC handed out its yearly awards for women’s basketball. Meyer was named All-Conference for the fourth straight year, earning First-Team honors. Zehner was All-Conference Honorable Mention, and Willett was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. Meyer also picked up her Player of the Week award for Dec. 20-Jan. 2.
The Gorloks, who are 16-10 on the season, find themselves one win from advancing to the NCAA III Championships. Webster will meet Westminster College for the SLIAC championship at 1:00 p.m. on February 26 in Fulton, MO. Webster students will be admitted free with a Webster ID. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for students with a school ID and children ages 5-16. There is no charge for children under 5 years of age.
