The Webster University men's basketball team had a workman-like effort, doing what it needed to do to come away with a 65-62 win at Principia College, on December 3 in Elsah, IL.  The Gorloks held off a much-improved Panther squad to go 2-0 in the SLIAC as Hunter Ward led Webster in points and rebounds.

While Webster was winning a track meet in its SLIAC opener with Greenville College, Principia knocked off Spalding University, picked second in the SLIAC 2016-17 coaches' pre-season poll.  Though the Gorloks were riding a 27-game win streak vs. the Panthers coming into the contest, dating back to 2003, they knew they would be tested.

Webster trailed after the first half, 30-27.  Early in the second half the Gorloks had a 14-1 run, fueled by three lay-ups and a pair of free throws by Ward (SR, St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood), to take a 41-33 lead.  The Panthers whittled the Gorloks' lead down to 47-44 at the 8:35 mark, but a three-pointer by Rabasa Turner (SR, Memphis, TN/St. Benedict at Auburndale) extended it to six.  A three-pointer by Xavier Dortch (SR, Stockton, AL/Faulkner St) with four minutes remaining gave Webster a nine-point lead at 58-49.

Principia kept grinding away, scoring 14 points over the last three and a half minutes of the contest, but Webster held them off, helped out by Jonathan Odjo's (SR, West Palm Beach, FL/Suncoast) four free throws in the game's final minute.

The Panthers had taken an 8-4 lead to start the game, when the Gorloks went on a 12-2 run to take control and pulled ahead, 16-10.  Principia crawled back ahead, 19-18, at 6:45 and the lead would change hands five times over the remainder of the half with the Panthers heading into the locker room on top.

While both teams overall shooting and rebounding were pretty much even for the game, Principia hit 10 of 23 three-pointers compared to Webster's 6 of 19 attempts.  But the Gorloks turned the ball over only eight times while the Panther had 14 miscues, and Webster hit 13-18 free throws as the Panthers on got to the line 10 times...making eight.

Ward finished the game with team-highs of 23 points and nine rebounds.  Ward now has 533 career rebounds, moving him into fourth place on Webster's all-time high list.  Dortch and Odjo had nine points each for the game.

Webster is 3-4 overall and travels to Decatur, IL, on December 7 to face Millikin University.  The Gorloks jump back in to SLIAC play with a game at Westminster College on December 10 in Fulton, MO.