ST. LOUIS - Webster University went toe-to-toe for 40 minutes here Monday evening in its exhibition contest against the University of Missouri-St. Louis, before the Tritons were able to hang on for a 65-60 victory over the Gorloks at the Mark Twain Building on the UMSL campus.
Unlike last season's exhibition game when the NCAA Division II Tritons outscored the Gorloks, 44-31 in the second half en route to posting a 78-56 win, Monday's game was close the majority of the night as the largest lead of the night came with 17:29 left in the game as UMSL led 41-28.
Monday's game, which did not count for the Gorloks, was the first of four games this week for Webster as the Gorloks open the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday against Washington University in St. Louis, before facing Emory & Henry and Eastern (Pa.) University this weekend at the Maryville College Classic in Maryville, Tenn.
With the win, UMSL, who is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, improved to 3-0 in its first of 12 consecutive home games for the Tritons this season.
UMSL entered the game averaging 80 points per game on the season, but was held to 60 against the Gorloks, including being outscored, 34-30 in the second half.
Following UMSL's 41-28 lead, the Gorloks clawed back into the game used a 9-5 run to pull within 46-37 with 14:13 left in the game. The Tritons, though, responded with by scoring four of the next six points to push in front 50-39 with 11:16 remaining.
Webster answered with a 9-0 run capped by a lay-up from freshman guard
Kevin Anders (Riviera Beach, Fla./Inlet Grove) to pull the Gorloks within two at 50-48 with 7:21 left in the game. On its next possession, the Gorloks had the chance to take the lead, but junior guard
Jordan Clay (St. Louis, Mo./Blackburn College) missed a three-pointer that would've given Webster the lead and that missed trey propelled the Tritons to score four of the next six points to push its lead to 54-50 with 5:46 left.
Junior forward
Enrique Tankins (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland) scored a lay-up with 5:15 left to push the Gorloks within two at 54-52. That lay-up seemed to ignite UMSL as the Tritons would score six of the next eight points to push its lead to 60-54 following a dunk by Eric Dust with 1:06 remaining in the contest. Dust scored four of UMSL's six points during the run and finished with a game-high 19 points.
Two free throws from junior guard
Josh Johnson and a lay-up by sophomore forward
Nigel Wilcox (Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial) with 25 seconds left pushed WU within four at 62-58. On UMSL's ensuing possession, Shane Wissink hit 1-of-2 free throws with 19 seconds left to give UMSL a 63-58 lead, but Johnson would get fouled on a 3-point shot on WU's next trip down the court, but Johnson would only make two of the three free throws to drop UMSL's lead to 63-60 with six seconds left. Ronnie Carson would cap the scoring with two free throws with five seconds remaining.
Johnson paced Webster with 16 points and added eight rebounds in 28 minutes of action. In addition to Johnson, Tankins finished with 12 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks, while Wilcox added 10 points and blocked five shots. Webster finished the game with seven blocked shots.
For the game, Webster shot 43 percent from the field and 27 percent from the 3-point line, while UMSL shot 49 percent from the field, but connected on just 14 percent (2-for-14) of its 3-pointers.
UMSL held a 38-27 edge on the glass, including Dust leading the Tritons with eight boards. Webster also won the turnover battle in the game as they finished with 15, while forcing the Tritons into 19 turnovers. UMSL, though, held a 18-15 edge in points off turnovers.
In addition Dust's 19 points, Wissink added nine points and five assists, while Towery and Carson each had eight points in the win.
Webster would jump out ot 13-4 lead just a little over five minutes into the game and led 20-14 following a trey by Tankins with 9:55 left in the opening half, when UMSL used an 8-0 run capped by a bucket by Steve Webb to take a 22-20 lead with 7:40 left in the first half.
After Clay retied the game on a basket with 7:09 left, UMSL would close the first half on a 13-4 run to take a 35-26 lead at the half.
In the first half, UMSL shot 60 percent from the field and held a 20-10 edge on the glass, while Webster shot 41 percent (11-for-27) from the field and 40 percent (2-for-5) from downtown.
