The Webster University men's basketball team took a commanding first half lead, but couldn't hold on as host Spalding University won, 78-73, on February 8 in Louisville, KY. Despite the loss the Gorloks remain in the thick of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference battle for a conference post-season tournament spot, sitting in fourth place.
Webster led by as many as 13 in the first half and settled for a 40-30 lead at the break. Xavier Dortch (SR, Stockton, Al/Faulkner St) had 12 points on 3-4 shooting in the half, and Evan Milligan (SO, Evansville, IN/Evansville Central) had 10 points and five rebounds. Webster shots 51.9% (13-27) for the half.
Spalding whittled the Webster lead down and tied the contest at 52-52 at 9:07 in the second half. The teams were tied at 57-57 with 6:43 remaining before the Golden Eagles took the lead at 6:04, prompting a Webster timeout.
Dortch hit a three-pointer to put Webster back on top momentarily, but Spalding responded with a three of its own and a pair of lay ups to take a six-point advantage, 66-60, with 4:17 left in the game. C.J. Moore (SR, Homestead, FL/Miami Killian) hit a pair of free throws at 3:28 to cut the lead to 66-62 but a 7-0 run by the Golden Eagles over the next minute put them in control.
A Milligan lay up at 1:37 made it 73-68. The teams exchanged baskets with the Gorloks still trailing by five, 75-70 with 1:15 left. After a missed three by Webster, Spalding looked like it salted the game with a lay up at 0:55, but Milligan answered with a lay up at 0:47. Spalding fouled Milligan on a missed Golden Eagle free throw at 0:36 to make things interesting.
Moore hit a free throw at 0:30 to make it a four-point deficit. Spalding missed another free throw, but a three-point attempt by Webster missed its mark. The Golden Eagles kept the door open with another missed free throw, but Webster misfired on another three-point attempt. Spalding finally hit a free-throw to make it a 78-73 lead, and that was the final.
Milligan had his third straight double double with team-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds, and four assists. It was Milligan's fifth double double of the season. Dortch finished with 15 points and Rabasa Dobbins-Turner (SR, Memphis, TN/St. Benedict at Auburndale) had 12 points and five rebounds. Moore finished in double figures in scoring also at 11.
The Gorloks shot just 35% (13-37) in the second half. Webster had another great game at the free throw line, going 16-18 (88.8%) and only committed six turnovers in the contest, tying for its lowest total of the season. But the Gorloks got beat bad on the boards (42-27) with the Golden Eagles having a 17-7 edge in second chance points and a 54-36 advantage for points in the paint.
Webster is 9-6 and in 4th in the SLIAC, and 12-10 overall. The Gorloks are home on February 11 to host Blackburn College.
