Box Score Proving that entering the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament as the top-seed doesn’t make one immune to defeat, the Webster University men’s basketball team fell to MacMurray College (IL), 68-62, at Grant Gymnasium on February 23. A 10 minute stretch in the second half turned the game around for the visiting Highlanders and denied the Gorloks a second straight SLIAC championship.
Webster had a comfortable halftime lead, 37-26, in a workmanlike but not dominant first half performance. The Gorloks extended the margin to 14, and still had a 13-point lead with 12 minutes remaining in the game. But from the 11:15 mark till only 36 seconds were left in the contest, the bottom fell out for Webster.
In one ugly stretch, the Gorloks shot one for nine from the field and committed six turnovers, as they were outscored, 25-5. A pair of three-pointers late couldn’t salvage a win as MacMurray sealed the victory with free throws. Webster shot 29% for the half while the Highlanders shot a hot 65% from the field.
Roman Robinson (JR, Merritt CC, CA) led the Gorloks with 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on the night. Robinson's night landed him a spot on the SLIAC 2012 All-Tournament Team. Ahmad Smith (FR, Clayton HS) had 11 points, including three for three shooting from outside the arc. Stefan Whittingham (SO, Ft. Lauderdale HS, FL) had nine points and six rebounds in the loss.
The SLIAC 2011-12 men’s basketball awards ceremony took place before the Webster and MacMurray tilt. Whittingham took SLIAC Player of the Year honors, the first for the Webster men since 2000-01, and Coach Chris Bunch took home his fourth SLIAC Coach of the Year award. The Gorloks had another good season in the SLIAC, winning their fifth conference title in the past eight years, with a 13-3 record.
Webster ends the season .500 at 13-13. MacMurray will meet Westminster College, a 74-60 winner over Eureka College (IL) in the other semi-final, for the championship on February 25, at 1:00 p.m. at Grant Gymnasium.
