CARLINVILLE, Ill. - Webster University and Blackburn College played another classic game in Dawes Gymnasium here Tuesday evening as the two men's basketball teams needed two overtimes to decide a winner as the Beavers outscored the Gorloks, 11-7, in the second overtime period to collect the 90-86 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory on Blackburn's home court.
With the setback, Webster snaps its three game winning streak and falls to 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the SLIAC, while Blackburn improved to 4-1 overall and 4-1 in the league.
Tuesday's game was the third in the last four played in the series at Blackburn that went to overtime, including two of the last three games in the series going to double overtime.
The Gorloks, who led 69-63 following a 3-pointer by sophomore guard
Wynne Brown, Jr. (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett) with 3:08 left in the regulation follw, saw Blackburn score eight of the final 10 points in regulation, including sending the game into overtime on a 3-pointer by Chanz Aldridge with 10 seconds left in the second half. Following Aldridge's trey, senior forward
Ethan Hughes (Union, Mo./Park University) had his 3-pointer at the buzzer fall short.
In the first overtime period, Webster once again had a late lead as they took a 79-77 lead following two free throws by senior forward
Rodson Etienne (West Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach) with 54 seconds left. Following Etienne's free throws, the Beavers pulled within 79-77 following a lay-up by Javon Stovall with 41 seconds left. On Webster's ensuing possession, Brown, Jr., would turn the ball over with 29 seconds left and Blackburn would miss two shots and grab two offensive rebounds, before Aldridge hit a lay-up with four seconds remaining to force a second overtime.
Freshman guard
Mark Moore (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro) opened the second overtime with a lay-up just 45 seconds in to give Webster an 81-79 lead. The Beavers, though, would respond by scoring seven of the next nine points to push in front 86-83 with 2:30 left in the second overtime frame. Etienne would tie the game at 86 following a dunk and subsequent free throw with 43 seconds remaining. Blackburn would take an 89-86 lead with 24 seconds left on a trey by Aldridge, but freshman guard
Malcolm Logue (Lebanon, Tenn./Lebanon) had a chance to send the game to a third overtime, but his 3-pointer missed with 10 seconds left and after Stovall made 1-of-2 free throws to give Blackburn a 90-86 lead, Brown, Jr.'s 3-pointer right before the buzzer fell short to seal the Beavers win.
Hughes led five Gorloks in double figures on the night as he scored a season-high 18 points and pulled eight rebounds. In addition to Hughes, Etienne scored 17 points and pulled down a career-high tying 13 rebounds, while Brown, Jr., tallied 16 points and had four assists. The other two double-digit scorers were Moore, who scored a career-high 13 points and freshman forward
Markus Becton (Bellwood, Ill./Westchester St. Joseph) added a second consecutive double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After entering the game shooting an NCAA Division III best 59.6 percent from the field, the Gorloks shot 43 percent from the field, including shooting 35 percent (6-for-17) from the field in the overtime periods.
Perhaps the biggest difference in the overtime came from the 3-point line as Webster went 0-for-5 from long distance, while Blackburn was 2-for-7 from downtown in the overtime periods as they took a total of 41 3-pointers in the game. Blackburn finished the game shooting 37 percent from the 3-point line. The Gorloks went 6-for-21 (29 percent) from long distance in the loss.
Aldridge and Stovall combined to score 52 of Blackburn's 90 points, including tallying 33 of those points after halftime as they had 14 of Blackburn's 19 points in overtime. Aldridge finished the night with 27 points, including scoring 17 of his team's 34 first half points, while Stovall finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Webster shot 41 percent from the field en route to taking a 35-34 lead at the half. In the opening half, Etienne and Hughes combined to score 17 points as Etienne scored nine and Hughes added eight points.
After trailing by a point at the half, Blackburn opened the second half on a 22-12 run to push in front 56-47 following a trey by Bryson Kirby with 10:57 left in regulation. The nine point lead by Blackburn was the largest lead for any team in the game.
The Gorloks would answer Blackburn with a 22-7 run over the next seven-plus minutes to push in front, 69-63 following Brown, Jr.'s 3-pointer with 3:08 left in the regulation. Webster's run was aided by a combined 13 points from Moore, Brown, Jr. and Hughes as Brown, Jr. scored seven points and Moore and Hughes each had six points.
Webster held a 52-45 edge on the boards, but committed 16 turnovers that led to 18 points for Blackburn. Eleven of Webster's 16 turnovers came in the second half and overtime. Blackburn had 11 turnovers on the night.
Kirby led Blackburn with a game-high 14 rebounds.
Blackburn dished out 25 assists and Webster dished out 17 assists.
The Beavers also held a 7-2 edge on blocked shots and Cristian Wagner blocked five shots and added 11 points and six rebounds.
