After a late season three-game skid, the Webster University men's basketball team righted the ship and won their final two conference contests to secure the #3 seed in the SLIAC Tournament.  Webster will face a Westminster College squad it beat, 79-68, on January 28 at Grant, but lost to in an overtime shootout on December 10, 98-94, in Fulton, MO.

Of the 11 players who have started a game this season for the Gorloks, eight will be lost to graduation.  The senior-heavy Gorloks will be looking for this depth of  experience to lead them to their first tournament championship since 2014...and a berth in the NCAA III Championships.  Webster will play Westminster on February 24 at host Greenville College (IL). 

The following is a preview of this year's tournament by the SLIAC Sports Information.  The tournament schedule follows the preview.  Webster students will be admitted to the tournament FREE with a Webster I.D..

For just the second time in program history Greenville College has won the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title outright and by doing so they will host the 2017 SLIAC Tournament this weekend, welcoming Principia College, Webster University, and Westminster College to town.

Greenville wrapped up the top seed in the tournament by finishing the season with a 14-4 conference record. This marks the first time that Greenville will serve as host of the tournament, as they were not eligible for postseason play the last time they captured a SLIAC regular season title (1995-96). Greenville will face #4 seed Principia College, who is making their first postseason trip since 2005, on Friday at 8 p.m. The other semi-final game will feature last year's tournament champion, #2 seed Westminster College, against #3 seed Webster University at 6 p.m. on Friday. The SLIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship game will be played on Saturday, February 25 at 7 p.m.
 

	WEBSTER UNIVERSITY 'GORLOKS' Webster returns to the SLIAC Tournament after going 14-11 overall and 11-7 in conference action this season. The Gorloks have won two straight games as they enter the tournament but will have do so without four year starter Hunter Ward, who was injured early January. With Ward out, the Gorloks have relied on the emergence of forward Evan Milligan. Milligan is averaging 15.1 points per game since Ward's departure including leading Webster in scoring in each of the last five games. Seniors CJ Moore and Xavier Dortch anchor the Gorloks guard play. Moore is a slasher, averaging 12.3 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and Dortch can knock down the long range shot, averaging 11.7 points per game with a team high 60 three-pointers this season.
	GREENVILLE COLLEGE 'PANTHERS' For the second consecutive year, Greenville College is the top scoring team in NCAA Division III, averaging 130.4 points per game. The Panthers rotate a lineup that has 11 players averaging at least seven minutes per game. The Panthers play fast, putting up over 100 shots per game on average including hitting on 17 three's each outing. They have won eight of their last nine games and are 10-2 at home this season. Senior guard Kenny Greene (18.8 ppg) heads up a rotation that features six players averaging in double figures in scoring, while knocking down a conference high 96 three's this season. Senior forward Shane Smith is averaging 18.2 points and a team high 6.2 rebounds while shooting 58-percent from the floor. Sophomore guards Johari Dix (4.3 apg) and Daniel Saeli (3.0 apg) take turns running the fast paced offense.
	PRINCIPIA COLLEGE 'PANTHERS' Principia comes into the tournament as the hottest team in the conference after putting together one of the more memorable finishes to a regular season just to get into the tournament, winning seven of their final eight games. The Panthers are averaging 79.1 points per game this season and ranked fourth in the league in team three-point percentage. With just eight players on the roster it is helpful that they have multiple scoring options. One of those options is senior guard Adaku Anumu, one of the more prolific scorers in SLIAC history. Anumu has scored over 1,000 points in just two years with the Panthers, with 11 games over 30 points, and is averaging 18.4 points per game this season. As explosive as he is he has benefited from the additions of sophomore guard Micah Paulson (16.4 ppg) and Trevaughn Goodman (14.0 ppg). The Panthers also feature a big man, Justin Ball (10.8 ppg), and athletic forward Parker Davidson; who is just one of two players in the conference to average a double-double this season.
	WESTMINSTER COLLEGE 'BLUE JAYS' Westminster returns in 2017 to defend last year's tournament title. The Blue Jays were a young team last year and aren't much older this year with just two seniors on the roster. Their leading scorer is athletic swing man Romo Tabb, a 6'5" forward, who is averaging 15.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while also shooting 57-percent from the floor. Junior center Sean O'Brien gives the Blue Jays size in the middle and averages 15.5 points per game. A third scoring option is junior guard Jimmy Villalobos. Villalobos earned All-Tournament team honors last year and averaged 12.2 points per game this season as the team's top outside threat with 54 three-pointers. The Blue Jays are a ball control team with sophomore guard Carter Wands taking on that task. Wands averages just 6.7 points per game but hands out 3.1 assists per game and ranks 4th in the conference in assist to turnover ratio. Fellow guard Tanner Cochran also helps handle the pressure and averages 6.4 points per game while leading the team with 40 steals this year.

Tournament Tidbits
* Webster is returning to the tournament after missing out last year. Webster has never missed the tournament in back to back seasons.
* Westminster has the most tournament wins in conference history, having won 18 games over their previous 17 trips.
* This is just the second time since joining the SLIAC that Greenville has reached the 20 win mark for the season.
* This is the 11th time Principia has made the tournament but just the second time since the conference narrowed it down to a four team field.
* Greenville has one SLIAC Tournament title, coming in the 1998 tournament as a #5 seed.
* Principia's 12 wins this season are the most since the 2002-03 season and two more wins would give them their most in a season since joining the SLIAC.
* Webster is tied for the most tournament appearances in conference history with 18 trips to the postseason.
* Westminster will be looking to become the first repeat tournament champion since Fontbonne University won three consecutive from 2007-09.
* Did you know that the top seed of the tournament has not won the title in any of the last three seasons?

The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, hosted by Greenville College, in Greenville, IL.

Schedule
Friday, February 24
Game 1 - #2 Westmisnter vs. #3 Webster, 6 p.m.
Game 2 - #1 Greenville vs. #4 Principia, 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 25
Championship Game - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 7 p.m.

Listen to Championship Game broadcast via CollegeCasts - HERE
You can watch all three tournament games - HERE