WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University sophomore forward Nigel Wilcox (Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial) recorded a double-double of 17 points and 15 rebounds and sophomore forward Rodson Etienne (West Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach) tallied a team-high 24 points here Saturday as the Gorloks fended off a pesky Blackburn College squad en route to earning a 67-62 victory over the Beavers in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Grant Gymnasium.

The double-double for Wilcox was his 10th of the season and his sixth in his last eight games. The 10 double-doubles ties the school's single season record (since 1992-93) of 10 held by both Adam Tigert (1997-98) and John Cooksey (1992-93). Additionally, Wilcox is now tied for second with Hunter Ward (2014-17) on the school's career double-double charts with 16. Steve Pierson holds the record for career double-doubles with 17.

With the victory, Webster wins its second consecutive game and improves its record to 17-5 overall and remains tied with Greenville for first place in the SLIAC standings with a 13-2 mark heading into the final week of the regular season. Blackburn fell to 11-12 overall and 8-8 in the league, but remains alive for a spot in the SLIAC Tournament heading into next's week action.

Saturday's win over Blackburn helped the Gorloks avenge its 96-92 double overtime loss on Jan. 9 at Blackburn to split the season series against the Beavers. In addition, it was the first game against Blackburn to not go into overtime since the 2016-17 season as both games last year went to overtime and this year's earlier match-up was a double overtime affair. 

The Gorloks needed every bit of Wilcox's and Etienne's offense as junior guard Josh Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Clayton) was held in check much of the game by Blackburn as Webster's season scoring leader finished with just eight points as he went 2-for-9 from the field, including an 0-for-5 night from the 3-point line. Johnson, who entered the game averaging 18.1 points per game was 4-for-4 at the free throw line. It marked just the third time in 20 games that Johnson had failed to score in double figures. 

In addition to Wilcox and Etienne, junior guard Enrique Tankins (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland) added 11 points and seven rebounds in the win, including scoring all of them after halftime. 

The second half was a back-and-forth affair most of the time as it featured seven ties and six lead changes as neither team led by more than three until the four minutes of the game. 

After Webster led 28-25 at the half, Blackburn would open the second half on an 11-8 run to tie the game at 36 following a basket by Karson Hayes with 14:35 left in the game. The team's would then take turns holding the lead over the next four minutes until Raushaun Amos drilled a trey with 10:05 left to give the Beavers a 46-44 lead. Amos' trey came 19 seconds after Wilcox gave the Gorloks a 44-43 lead after hitting two free throws. 

Junior guard Aron Hopp (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln College) forced the game's 14th and final tie at 46 after hitting two free throws with 9:22 left in the game. Hopp's two free throws ignited a 5-0 run for the Gorloks as Tankins would hit one free throw and Johnson would connect on two free throws with 7:30 remaining to give the Gorloks a 49-46 lead. 

The lead, though, was shortlived as the Beavers scored four straight points to retake the lead at 50-49. WU would then answer by scoring six of the next nine points to push its lead to 56-52 with 3:44 left in the contest. The run began with a basket by Etienne and was capped by a free throw from Wilcox. 

Hayes would bring his team back within one after he drilled his third trey of the game with 3:19 left to give Gorloks a 56-55 lead. Hayes finished with a game high 25 points for the Beavers. 

That trey by Hayes would be as close as Blackburn would get the remainder of the game as Tankins hit two free throws a little a minute later and then WU's lead would grow to five points at 60-55 following a lay-up by Etienne with 1:31 remaining. 

After Jamaya Wyatt connected on 1-of-2 free throws with 1:20 left to drop WU's lead to 60-56, Tankins would hit two free throws with 54 seconds left to push the Gorloks lead to 62-56, but Amos would hit a trey with 30 seconds left to cut WU's in half to 62-59.

Two more Tankins free throws and a trey by Hayes gave WU a 64-62 lead with 12 seconds left. Webster would cap the scoring with a free throw from junior guard Jordan Clay (St. Louis, Mo./Blackburn College) and two free throws from Tankins in the game's final eight seconds. In fact, Tankins scored eight of WU's final 11 points. 

Along with Hayes' game high 25 points, Amos added 17 points and Wyatt chipped in with nine points off the bench for the Beavers. 

In the first half, Webster scored the game's first three points, before Blackburn hit back-to-back treys to take a 6-3 lead just 79 seconds into the game. The Beavers lead would grow to as much as four points at 15-11 following a basket by Amos with 13:27 left in the opening half. The Gorloks, though, answered with a eight straight points to take a 19-15 lead with 11:20 remaining in the half. 

The lead would evaporate quickly as Blackburn scored back-to-back baskets to tie the game at 19. Webster would respond with a 9-4 run to push its lead to 28-23 after Wilcox hit 1-of-2 free throws with 38 seconds left. Blackburn would gain some momentum heading into the locker room as Johnson was called for a technical right as the buzzer sounded. The technical gave the Beavers two free throws, which Amos hit, to drop WU's lead to 28-25 at the half. 

For the game, Webster shot 50 percent from the field and fail to hit a trey for the third time this season as they were 0-for-9 from long distance in the game. Webster is 3-0 this season when they fail to hit a 3-pointer in a game. 

Meanwhile, Blackburn shot 39 percent from the field and 28 percent (8-for-29) from the 3-point line. 

The Gorloks held a 40-26 edge on the glass and had 16 assists on 23 made baskets. 

WU's rebound advantage helped them negate the 19 turnovers they committed, which led to 17 Blackburn points. Blackburn had just 13 turnovers in the game. 

Webster also had an advantage at the free throw line as they shot 78 percent (21-for-27) from the line, including going 19-for-23 (83 percent) from the line in the second half. Blackburn shot 50 percent from the line as they were 4-for-8 for the game. 

The Gorloks will look to make its three wins in a row this coming Tuesday, Feb. 12 as they travel to Elsah, Ill., for a 7:30 p.m. SLIAC contest against Principia College (5-17 overall, 4-11 SLIAC). The Panthers have picked up back-to-back wins over Eureka (89-78) last Tuesday and at Westminster (76-75) on Saturday.