WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University saw its four game win streak come to a halt here Wednesday evening as the Gorloks suffered an 81-79 setback in overtime to Spalding University in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball action at Grant Gymnasium.

With the setback in Wednesday's SLIAC Game of the Week, Webster falls to 15-5 overall and 9-3 in the SLIAC, while Spalding improves to 14-6 overall and 9-2 in the league. In addition, the loss also snapped Webster's 10 game home win in SLIAC play that had dated to last season. 

The Gorloks appeared to have the game won in regulation after freshman guard Hannah Cottrell (Steelville, Mo./Steelville) scored a lay-up with 22 seconds left, but the Golden Eagles, who swept both games this season againstt the Gorloks, tied the game on three-pointer by Maleah Hirn with 14 seconds left in regulation. Following Hirn's trey that tied the game 69, both teams had shots in the final three seconds to win the game but neither shot connected to force overtime. The overtime game was the first for Webster since falling 77-72 at Westminster on Nov. 29, 2017. 

In the overtime period, junior guard Jaysea Morgan (Fisk, Mo./Twin Rivers) scored the first two points of the extra session on a lay-up just 18 seconds into the period. The lead, though, was shortlived as Spalding scored four straight points to take a 73-71 lead with 3:29 left. Cottrell retied the game at 73 on her lay-up with 3:02 left in overtime.

The Golden Eagles, though, would respond by scoring six of the next eight points to push its lead to 79-75 with 24 seconds left. Webster wouldn't go away as redshirt sophomore forward Kaylee Heggemann (Washington, Mo./Three Rivers CC) hit a lay-up with 15 seconds left and on the play, she drew a foul. Heggemann would miss the ensuing free throw, but Morgan picked up the offensive rebound and was fouled with 13 seconds. Morgan would make two free throws and tie the game at 79. 

On the ensuing possession, Alex Martin drove to the basket and hit a lay-up with two seconds left to give the Golden Eagles an 81-79 lead. Cottrell would miss a shot from near half court right as the buzzer sounded to seal Spalding's win. 

Morgan led the way offensively for the Gorloks as she tallied a game high 18 points and added six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Morgan scored 11 of her points after halftime. 

In addition to Morgan's 18 points, freshman forward Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran) added 14 points and 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season and Cottrell chipped in with 14 points and added six boards in the loss. 

Martin was one of six Golden Eagles to score in double figures in the game as she finished with 12 points and added eight assists and six steals. Hirn paced the Golden Eagles with 17 points off the bench, while Tse Gahagan added 14 points and Allison Just chipped in 13 points and six boards. The other double-digit scorers were Megan Goeing, who had 11 points and Hunter Wright, who scored 10 points and had four boards and blocked three shots. 

After watching Spalding score 18 points in the first quarter and holding an 18-15 lead after the opening 10 minutes, the Gorloks offense would come alive in the second quarter as they shot 57 percent from the field and 67 percent from the 3-point line and outscored the Golden Eagles, 26-14 to take a 41-32 lead at the half. 

The Gorloks opened the second quarter on a 15-4 run to push out to a 33-22 lead with 4:25 left in the quarter. The run was aided by five points each from sophomore guard Naomi Johnson (St. Louis, Mo,/Greenville University) and freshman guard Caity Jones (West Plains, Mo./Thayer). Spalding, though, would answer with a 6-1 run to pull within 34-28. WU would close the quarter on a 7-4 run to take its nine point lead at the half. Johnson, Beussink and Jones combined to score 17 of WU's 26 points in the quarter. 

Spalding would outscore the Gorloks, 23-20 in the third quarter to cut Webster's lead to 61-55 heading into the fourth quarter. In the third quarter, Morgan scored 10 points, including hitting a trey right before the buzzer to cap the quarter's scoring. 

The Gdlden Eagles would open the fourth quarter by scoring four straight points to cut WU's lead to 61-59 just 72 seconds into the quarter. Webster, though, would answer by scoring six of the next eight points to push in front 67-61 with 5:36 left in the quarter. Spalding would come back as they scored five straight points over the next three-plus minutes to pull witthin 67-66 with 1:20 left in regulation. 

For the game, Webster shot 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line, while Spalding shot 45 percent from the field and was held to 24 percent (4-for-17) from the 3-point line. 

The Gorloks held a 47-31 edge on the boards, including an 18-11 edge on the offensive glass. Despite that edge on the boards, Webster committed 25 turnovers that led to 30 points. Spalding committed just 12 turnovers against Webster's relentless pressure defense. 

Webster also finished the game with a season high tying six blocks as sophomore forward Darieana Hunter (Norman, Okla./Norman) blocked a career high five shots and added six boards and scored four points. 

The Gorloks also held a 31-18 edge at the free throw line as Webster finished the game shooting 84 percent (26-for-31) from the line, while Spalding shot 72 percent (13-for-18) from the line. 

Webster will look to start a new winning streak on Saturday, Feb. 2 as the Gorloks travel to Eureka, Ill., for a 1 p.m. SLIAC contest at Eureka College. The Gorloks picked up a 79-62 win over the Red Devils at Grant Gymnasium on Jan. 2.