Box Score The Webster University men's basketball team returned to the scene of its upset win in the 2014 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship game.  Alas, there was no repeat victory on this night as host Spalding University held onto its first place perch in the SLIAC with a 65-58 win over the Gorloks.

Webster had a halftime lead in the game played in Louisville, KY, on January 14, but the Golden Eagles pulled ahead in the second half and never relinquished the lead.  The Gorloks had beaten Spalding, 55-51, in Louisville, on March 1, for an upset win and an NCAA III Tournament berth.

The teams battled back and forth throughout the first half with Spalding taking its first lead, 11-10, with 10:40 on the clock.  An Adam Etter (SO, Albers, IL/Mater Dei HS) three-pointer at 8:30 then put the Gorloks back on top, 15-14.

After falling behind again, Webster took another lead on an Aaron Griffin (SR, Farm Haven, MS/Velma Jackson HS) block of a shot off the backboard that caromed out to C. J. Moore (SO, Homestead, FL/Miami Killian HS).  Moore took the rebound in for a breakaway layup to put Webster ahead, 23-22, with 4:20 left in the half and the team took a 30-29 lead into the locker room.

Spalding came out of the blocks in the second half to regain the lead and was up, 45-40, when a Griffin basket and free throw cut the lead to two at the 10:15 mark.  The Golden Eagles built the lead to 59-51, and a three-pointer by Ahmad Smith (SR, St. Louis, MO/Clayton HS) cut it to 59-54, with 2:29 remaining but that is as close as the Gorloks would get.

Webster was coming off a big 72-57 SLIAC win over previously unbeaten, and in first place, Greenville College.  The Gorloks were hoping to continue that same momentum against first place Spalding, who  improved to 7-1 in the SLIAC as Webster fell to 4-3.  Though they out rebounded the Golden Eagles and made 12 free throws to just their four, the Gorloks were doomed by long range shooting.  Spalding was 9-19 from the three-point line, while Webster was 4-17.

Griffin had his third double double in his last four contests, leading Webster with 16 points and 11 rebounds.  Griffin was 6-10 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.  He also had three blocks for the game.  Hunter Ward (SO, St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood HS) had 12 points, on 6-10 shooting, and three rebounds and assists. 

Smith wound up the evening with 10 points, giving him 1245 for his career, and moving him into fourth place on Webster's all-time scoring list.  Smith passed up Jeff Reis (1999-01) who amassed 1236 points in just two seasons at Webster.  Smith had six rebounds and four assists on the night as well.

The Gorloks are 8-6 overall on the season.  Webster hosts Big Bend rival Fontbonne University on January 17, at Grant Gymnasium, then travels to Carlinville, IL, for a game vs. Blackburn College on January 21.