Men's Basketball 11/11/2025 12:12:00 PM Kyle Jones

Gorloks Late Second Half Surge Defeats Welch 82-66 In Season Opener

GALLATIN, Tenn. - The Webster University men's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season on the road at Welch College Friday evening. The Gorloks battled the Flames to a tie at 33 apiece at half and rallied late in the second half with a 13-0 run that earned an 82-66 victory.

Webster opened the game with a 9-0 run that included seven points by Charles Nelson and a basket by Sebastian Reed. Moments later, Welch cut the lead to four at 9-5 with five unanswered points. Following a basket by Adam Painter, Welch responded with a 13-1 run that pushed the score to 18-12.

With the six-point deficit at 14-20, the Gorloks responded with a 7-2 run that included four points by Nelson, a basket by Painter, and a free-throw by Nbaye Thiam that cut the deficit to one at 19-20. Following the Webster run, Welch countered with an 8-2 run that made the score 21-28.

In the final two and half minutes of the first half, Webster closed out the first half with a 9-2 run that included three free-throws from Painter and back-to-back three-point baskets by Ethan Chartrand that tied the game at 33 apiece at the halftime intermission.

Welch opened the second half with a quick 5-2 run that generated the 35-38 deficit. Moments later, the Gorloks responded with an 8-0 run and took the 43-38 lead on three-point baskets by Sykes II and Nelson while Painter added a lay-in. Approximately 30 seconds later, Welch tied the game at 43 apiece with a 5-0 run.

With the game tied, Webster stretched their lead to 47-43 with a jumper by Sykes II and a pair of free-throws by Nelson. Moments later, WC's Clay Carter tied at 47 apiece with two layups. For the next two minutes of action, Webster and Welch exchanged points to the score of 53-52 that included three points from Reed and a three-point basket by Sykes II added another three-point basket.

With just over 12 minutes left on the clock, the Gorloks countered with a 6-0 run for the 59-52 lead that included five points by William Burroughs V and a free-throw by Dallas Harding-Fair. The game continued with back-and-forth play that included a layup by Painter and a pair of free-throws by Nelson that generated the 63-54 lead. Moments later, the Flames added a 7-2 run that cut the Gorlok lead to 65-61.

From the 6:11 mark to just under three minutes left on the clock, Webster and Welch traded baskets that pushed the score to a 69-66 Gorlok lead. With two minutes and 39 seconds remaining in regulation, Webster closed out the game with a 13-0 run that included five points from Sykes II, four points from Nelson, and a basket each from Painter and Chartrand that earned the 82-66 victory.

For the game, Nelson led with a game-high 27 points while shooting 10-of-17 from the field. In addition to Nelson, Sykes II and Painter recorded 13 points each while Ugo contributed seven points off the bench. At the glass, Sykes II and Ugo led the team with nine rebounds each while Painter collected eight. Defensively, Nelson led with three steals while Reed, Chartrand, and Ugo recorded one block each.

As a team, Webster outrebounded Welch 59-30 and recorded 27 points on second chance opportunities.

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Players Mentioned

#5 William Burroughs V: G; 5' 7"; Junior

#15 Sebastian Reed: F/G; 6' 1"; Junior

#1 Charles Nelson: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#30 Ethan Chartrand: F; 6' 5"; Senior

#33 Adam Painter: F; 6' 6"; Junior

#34 Nbaye Thiam: F; 6' 4"; Junior

#44 Dallas Harding-Fair: C; 6' 7"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#5 William Burroughs V
: 5' 7"; Junior
: G

#15 Sebastian Reed
: 6' 1"; Junior
: F/G

#1 Charles Nelson
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#30 Ethan Chartrand
: 6' 5"; Senior
: F

#33 Adam Painter
: 6' 6"; Junior
: F

#34 Nbaye Thiam
: 6' 4"; Junior
: F

#44 Dallas Harding-Fair
: 6' 7"; Junior
: C