Once again proving how tough life on the road in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference can be, the Webster University men's basketball team lost, 68-59, at MacMurray College, on January 16 in Jacksonville, IL. Webster got off to a good start, but MacMurray outscored the Gorloks, 45-29, in the second half to come out on top.
In a game where the pace started three gears lower than the women's game that preceded it, the Webster University men and MacMurray played a much more deliberate style of play. Tony Jones (SR, Raymore, MO/Raymore-Peculiar) lay up gave Webster a 27-19 lead with 2:20 remaining in the first half. Xavier Dortch (SR, Stockton, AL/Faulkner St) hit a three-pointer at 1:50 to make it 30-23, and that was the score heading into halftime.
A Tehvynn Crenshaw (SR, Mobile, AL/Murphy) bucket and free throw gave Webster an eight-point lead, 39-31, with 12:16 remaining in the game, but the Highlanders then made their move. MacMurray took its first lead since midway through the first half at 8:33 when a jumper put them ahead, 41-40. Rabasa Dobbins-Turner (SR, Memphis, TN/St. Benedict at Auburndale) hit a three for Webster at 6:28 to pull the Gorloks within two at 47-45, but that is as close as they would get the rest of the way.
After MacMurray had taken a nine-point advantage at 3:49, four Dortch three-pointers in just over a two-minute span kept the Gorloks alive. But the Highlanders, who answered with a lay up and a three-pointer of their own, hit seven of eight free throws in the final minute and a half to seal Webster's fate.
Dortch came off the bench to finish with a team-high 19 points, going 6-10 from the field with all attempts coming from beyond the arc. Dobbins-Turner had 14 points off the bench for Webster as the Gorlok bench scored 41 of the team's 59 points. Webster was once again without the services of leading scorer (16.5 ppg) Hunter Ward (SR, St. Louis, MO/Kirkwood), who is sidelined with an injury.
Though Webster shot 10-21 (47.6%) from the three-point line, the team shot just 12-32 (37.5%) from inside of it. The Gorloks got beat on the boards, 36-28, and their 18 turnovers was the third highest total in a game this season.
Webster is 4-4 in the SLIAC and falls into a tie for sixth place, though with plenty of conference action yet to play. The Gorloks are 7-8 overall. MacMurray is 2-6 in the SLIAC and 2-12 overall. The Gorloks continue their four-game road stretch with a game at Fontbonne University on January 18, as the teams continue their 'Battle of Big Bend' series.
