Box Score In a battle for the top spot in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Webster University men's basketball team defeated MacMurray College (IL), 90-85, on February 8 at Grant Gymnasium.  With the win, the Gorloks improve to 10-2 in the SLIAC and remain thick in the race for a title run.

A dunk and a layup, back to back, by Aaron Griffin (JR, Farm Haven, MS/Velma Jackson HS) gave Webster a 74-63 lead with 4:30 remaining and put an exclamation point on the Gorloks taking control of the action in the contest.   Another dunk by Griffin with: 35 left in the game put Webster up 86-80 and left little doubt about securing a victory.

The Gorloks trailed, 39-34, at the half and didn't take their first lead of the game until a layup by Hollis Edwards (SR, Nashville, TN/McGavock HS) put Webster up, 40-39, at 18:50 in the second.  Webster extended its lead to 53-44 at the 13:00 mark as MacMurray struggled to regain the lead.

Ahmad Smith (JR, St. Louis, MO/Clayton HS) had 31 points in the game, the most in a game this season for Webster as Smith eclipsed the 26 he scored against Eureka on December 14.  Smith was 13-18 from the field, including several acrobatic layups.  Smith also led the Gorloks with five steals.

Griffin wound up with 20 points and seven rebounds.  Webster got a complete game effort from guard Hunter Ward (FR, St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood HS) who had a team season-high nine assists, 10 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.  As a team, Webster had a season-high 19 steals on the afternoon.

The Gorloks tied their season high shooting percentage for the game, hitting 58.3% (35-60), tying the mark they shot at Missouri S & T on December 8.  Webster was 0-6 from beyond the three-point arc, but MacMurray kept itself in the game with a sizzling 14-30 mark (46.7%) on three-point attempts.

Webster is 10-2 in the SLIAC and 13-6 overall.  The Gorloks have won eight of their last nine SLIAC contests and their third in a row.  MacMurray falls to 11-2, a half-game ahead of the Gorloks.  Webster will host Iowa Wesleyan on February 10, making up a contest postponed on February 1 because of inclement weather.

The team then hits the road for a contest at Greenville College (IL) on February 12 and then has a showdown on February 15 in Louisville, KY, against first place Spalding University, 12-1 in the SLIAC.