The Webster University men's basketball team picked up its first win of 2016-17, downing Rust College (MS), 99-81, on November 26 at the Cavallo Classic at Grant Gym.  The Gorlok offense exploded, setting a school record for three-point shooting percentage, as they won their first game of the season.  Hunter Ward and Xavier Dortch each broke the 20-point barrier for Webster in the victory.

Gorloks took a 14-2 lead in the game's first four minutes, with seven of the points scored by Evan Milligan (SO, Evansville, IN/Evansville Central).  A pair of three-pointers by Dortch (SR, Stockton, AL/Faulkner St) and Rabasa Turner (SR, Memphis, TN/St. Benedict at Auburndale) put Webster up, 22-10, after the Bearcats had chipped into the Gorlok lead.  Rust cut the lead to six points, 29-23, before Webster extended the lead back to 14 at, 37-23, with 4:30 left in the half. The Gorloks hung onto their lead, entering the locker room up, 48-33.

Dortch led Webster with 11 points for the half, including two three-pointers.  Ward (SR, St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood) had seven points and five assists.  The Gorloks shot 60% from the field (18-30) for the half.

Webster started the second half with a 10-0 run to take a 25-point advantage, 58-33.  Dortch and Ward contributed three-pointers in that span.  The Gorloks would maintain a 20-point plus lead throughout most of the remainder of the contest, just falling short of the 100 point mark.  

Dortch had a career-high 20 points in the game.  His previous high total of 18 points came in last year's Cavallo Classic vs. Luther College (IL).  Dortch was 6-9 from the field, including 5-7 from three-point land.  Ward, the day after topping the 1000 point mark for his career, had a team-high 24 points on 8-10 shooting, including 3-3 from beyond the arc and 5-5 from the free throw line.  Ward added a team-high seven assists.  Milligan also broke double figures in scoring, finishing the afternoon with 13 points.

The Gorloks shot a sizzling 75% (12-16) from the three-point line and 58% (37-64) overall for the game . That broke the school three-point record of .625 (10-16), set in 2014 in a game vs. MacMurray College.  Webster also had its second highest number of assists in a single game (30), just missing the record of 31, performing the feat for the first time since 2003.  Webster, just missing at 99, broke the 100-point mark twice last season, both against 'run and gun' Greenville College (IL) Panthers. 

The 2016 Cavallo All-Tournament Team was announced after the game.  Ward and Dortch were among those making the team.

Ben Meinholz, SO (Wisconsin-LaCrosse) MVP
Zach Schradle, SR (Wisconsin-LaCrosse)
Hunter Ward, SR (Webster)
Xavier Dortch, SR (Webster)
Allen Potts, JR (Rust) 
Brent Long, JR (MacMurray)

Webster is 1-4 overall with the win, after playing through a tough non-conference schedule.  Rust, an independent from Holly Springs, MS, falls to 2-3.  The Gorloks open play in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as they host Greenville College (IL) on November 30 at Grant Gymnasium.  Webster then travels to Principia College (IL) on December 3.