Box Score The Webster University men's basketball team stunned Spalding University, coming from behind in the game's final minutes for a 58-57 win. The Gorloks improved to 7-1 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while the Golden Eagles fell to 8-1 after having gone undefeated in its first tour of the SLIAC in 2013-14. In front of a "Pack the House" audience of 420, the Gorloks gave their biggest crowd in years quite a show.
Hollis Edwards (SR, Nashville, TN/McGavock HS) stepped to the free throw line in place of an injured Jarrod Huskey (SR, Hillsboro, MO/Hillsboro HS) for two shots with four seconds remaining and sank both for the win.
Kevin Miller (SO, Belleville, IL/Belleville East HS) had a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds to lead Webster in the victory. Miller was 7-11 from the field and 6-7 at the free throw line. Edwards had seven points, four rebounds, and game highs with five assists and three steals.
Down 57-47 with 4:46 remaining, Webster went on a 9-0 run to pull within 57-56. A Kevin Miller steal after a Spalding timeout led to a Hunter Ward (St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood HS) layup and made it a one-point game with just 34 seconds remaining. A Ward block of a Spalding layup, and rebound by Edwards with 17 seconds left, gave Webster its shot at the lead and a win.
Huskey was fouled on a rebound of an Ahmad Smith (JR, St. Louis, MO/Clayton HS) miss and was injured as he hit the floor hard. This left Spalding coach Kevin Gray to pick a shooter from the remaining Webster players on the floor. Edwards was Gray's pick but Edwards didn't let the home team down, canning both free throws to give Webster a 58-57 lead with four seconds left.
The Gorloks built a 10-2 advantage to start the game and held the lead for most of the half until a late surge put the Golden Eagles ahead, 33-29, at the half. Spalding built a 43-33 lead in the second half, but an 8-0 Gorlok run brought Webster within two, at 43-41, with 9:30 remaining. Spalding had a hot hand beyond the three-point line and each time Webster closed in, Spalding threes kept Webster at a safe distance. The Golden Eagles finished 10-19 behind the arc.
The "Pack the House" crowd was treated to a spectacle off the court for the men's game as well as the Berkeley High School Pep Band entertained during timeouts and performed a rousing halftime show. The Webster University Danceline performed at halftime of both the men's and women's game.
Webster is 10-5 overall and tied with MacMurray College for second in the SLIAC. Webster travels to Jacksonville, IL, to take on the Highlanders on January 25. The showdown contest has been chosen as the SLIAC Game of the Week.
