Johnson Joins Gorlok 1,000 Point Club

Webster University's Josh Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Clayton) achieved a milestone here Wednesday evening as the senior guard scored 19 first half points to become the 12th Gorlok men's basketball player to join the 1,000 Point Club as the Gorloks posted an impressive 77-58 win over Blackburn College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Grant Gymnasium.

Johnson, who entered Wednesday's game needing 13 points for 1,000 career points, went over the 1,000 point barrier on a 3-pointer with 12:03 left in the first half and has now scored 1,006 career points as a Gorlok. Johnson scored all of his 19 points in the opening half. 

With the victory, Webster extends its win streak to five straight games and improves its overall record to 7-7 and its SLIAC record to 6-1, while Blackburn falls to 5-9 overall and 4-3 in the SLIAC. In addition, Wednesday's win pushed Webster's home court win streak in SLIAC play to 17 consecutive games as the Gorloks haven't lost at home in league play since falling 78-61 to Westminster (Mo.) College on Jan. 20, 2018. 

Johnson, who scored 15 of Webster's first 21 points, is now the seventh Gorlok in the tenure of Webster head coach Chris Bunch to score 1,000 career points.

In addition to Johnson's 19 points, senior forward Enrique Tankins (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland) scored 16 points, including 14 in the second half and pulled down eight rebounds in the win, while senior guard Blake Ferrell (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South) and freshman guard Wynne Brown, Jr. (Memphis, Tenn./Bartlett) each had 10 points and combined for eight rebounds and seven assists. 

Senior guard Jordan Clay (St. Louis, Mo./Blackburn College) had a huge night against his former school as the Vashon High School product finished with eight points, a career-high tying 10 rebounds and a season high seven assists. Clay scored six of his eight points in the second half.

The Gorloks shot 53 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line en route to scoring 39 first half points to take a 39-27 lead at the half. 

Webster opened the second half on 7-2 run to push its halftime lead to 46-29 following a basket from junior guard Elijah Macias (San Antonio, Texas/Medina Valley) with 15:35 left in the game. Macias' basket gave the Gorloks a 46-29 lead. 

The Beavers, who have now lost three straight games to the Gorloks, responded with an 8-2 run to pull within 48-37 following two free throws by Nigel Ferrell, who finished the game with 16 points. That would be as close as Blackburn would get as the Gorloks scored six consecutive points to take a 54-37 lead. 

After the Beavers scored eight of the next 12 points to cut Webster's lead 58-45, the Gorloks responded with a 19-11 run to push out to a 21 point lead following a jump shot in the paint by freshman guard Nick Wagner (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) with 17 seconds left. Wagner's basket, which was his first two points of his collegiate career, gave the Gorloks a 77-56 lead. 

Blackburn would cap the scoring on a lay-up by Ferrell with 12 seconds left in the game. 

Along with 16 points from Ferrell, Karson Hayes, who entered the game averaging 21.0 points per game, was held to 11 points, while David Lopez chipped in with 10 points off the bench. 

The Gorloks finished the game shooting 49 percent from the field, but was held to 29 percent (4-for-14) shooting from the 3-point line. Webster was 7-for-9 (78 percent) from the free throw line in the win. 

Webster held a 41-32 edge on the boards and had 17 assists, while Blackburn had 11 assists. 

The two teams combined for 17 turnovers as Blackburn had 10 turnovers that led to 16 Webster points, while the Gorloks had a season low seven turnovers. 

Webster, who is sitting atop the league standings, looks to make it six straight wins as they return to action on Saturday, Jan. 18 with a 3 p.m. game in Eureka, Ill., against Eureka College (9-4 overall, 4-2 SLIAC), Eureka defeated the Gorloks, 70-69, in the finals of the SLIAC Tournament last season in Grant Gymnasium to capture its first-ever SLIAC Tournament title and earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.