Box Score The Webster University women's basketball team suffered a tough, 58-57, loss to Principia College, on February 3 at Grant Gymnasium. The Gorloks trailed by as many as 11 in the second half, but gained the lead before falling in the game's waning minutes.
Principia led at the half, 35-30, and were up 43-32 with 16:30 remaining in the second. Webster cut the deficit to 41-43 at 9:35 as Principia went seven minutes without scoring. The teams battled back and forth the rest of the way; and the Gorloks took a 47-45 lead on baskets by Ashley Brooks (JR, Hermann, MO/Hermann HS) and Alyssa Sapp (JR, Ashland, MO/Southern Boone HS) with 7:15 left in the game.
A 5-0 run by the Panthers put them back on top, 50-47 at the 4:30 mark but the Gorloks would tie it up on a Brittany Harris-Conway (JR, St. James, MO/John F. Hodge HS) three-pointer, 52-52, with 1:50 on the clock.
The game was still tied, at 54-54, with 45 seconds left when a pair of Principia free throws gave them the lead. A Webster turnover with 4.8 seconds left led to a quick Gorlok foul and another pair of Principia free throws, making it 58-54, Principia. A Brooks' three-pointer at the buzzer wasn't enough as the Gorloks lost, 58-57.
Webster took a 10-2 lead to open the contest, and still led, 12-9, with 11:30 left in the half. Principia took its first lead, 23-22, with 4:15 left in the first and extended it to 29-31 at 2:10. Four straight baskets by Cassie Endicott (SR, Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial HS) in the final two minutes helped cut the deficit to 30-35 heading into the locker room.
Endicott wound up with 16 first half points on 6-8 shooting. The Gorloks were out rebounded, 23-14, in the session, but only had four turnovers for the half. Principia would wind up having a 46-28 advantage in rebounds for the game, outscoring Webster in second chance points, 13-2.
Endicott would finish with 18 points on the evening, on 7-10 shooting, and with four free throws. She increased her career free throw total to 193, tying her for eighth place on Webster all-time high list with Michelle Irving (2001-04).
Brooks led the Gorloks in scoring, with 19, and had a team-high five steals for the game. Harris-Conway had a team-high eight rebounds, and had seven points for the game.
Webster is 5-7 and tied for fifth place in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with Greenville College. The Gorloks are 8-11 overall as they saw a 12-game win streak in the SLIAC to the Panthers come to an end. Webster had won three of its last four games entering the contest.
The Gorloks make the trek to Mt. Pleasant, IA, on February 7 to play Iowa Wesleyan College, and then take a short trip down Big Bend Blvd. on February 11 to take on Fontbonne University.
