Box Score The Webster University men's basketball team clinched a share of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title with a 78-67 win at Greenville College (IL) on February 24.  With the win, the Gorloks also clinched the #1 seed in the SLIAC Tournament and will host the tournament on February 27-28.

The Gorloks seemed like a longshot for first place just two weeks ago after a loss at Iowa Wesleyan College left them at 8-5 and in a tie for third place in the SLIAC.  But Webster stormed back, winning its final five conference games in a row to finish at 13-5 and in a tie with Spalding University (KY) and MacMurray College (IL).  It is the first time the Gorloks finished in first place since 2011-12 when they won the title outright.

Webster gets the #1 seed via the conference tie-breaker, which is based on a team's record against the next lowest team in the standings on down.  The Gorloks sweep of fourth place Fontbonne University gave them the edge.

Hunter Ward (SO, St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood HS) carried the Gorloks to a 40-30 halftime lead.  Ward had 16 points on 5-5 shooting from the three-point line for the half.  Ward also had a team-high three rebounds as Webster only had nine total rebounds for the half.  But the Gorloks shot 15-27 (56%) to take the lead.

Webster extended the lead to 47-32 in the first two minutes of the second half.  The Gorloks still led, 52-42, with 14:50 remaining but a Greenville 8-2 run cut Webster's lead to 54-50 with 9:53 left in the game.  That is as close as the Panthers would come as the Gorloks' Ahmad Smith (SR, St. Louis, MO/Clayton HS) hit a three on Webster's next possession and Webster extended the lead back to 61-50.

The Gorloks raced to a 30-14 lead at 9:00 in the first half.  Greenville cut the margin to 35-26 with 5:00 left in the half but Webster entered the locker room with a 40-30 lead at the break.
Ward would finish with a game-high 25 points and tie for the team lead with eight rebounds.  Ward finished the night 9-16 from the field. 

Smith finished with 18 points, adding to his second all-time high career total points for Webster.  Smith, the SLIAC's leading scorer, now has 1329 points for his career.  Smith moved into fourth place on Webster's all-time free throw list with five in the game.  Smith has 229 for his career, surpassing Ryan Turk (2005-08), who had 228.

C. J. Moore (SO, Homestead, FL/Miami Killian HS) hit double figures as well with 12 points.  Taylor Walton (JR, Okawville, IL/Okawville HS) came off the bench for Webster and tied Ward for the tem-high with eight rebounds and chipped in with five points.

Webster was outrebounded 46-27 but committed only eight turnovers, tying its season low in that category.  The only blemish on the Gorloks' night was a 12-29 shooting performance from the free throw line.

The Gorloks, 17-8 overall on the season, will take on the #4 seed, Fontbonne University, at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27 at Grant.  Spalding will take on MacMurray in the other semi-final at 6:00 p.m.  The winners will advance to the championship game on February 28 at 7:00 p.m. at Grant.  The tournament winner receives an automatic berth in the NCAA III Championships.