Gorloks, Bunch SLIAC Champs
Webster University lived up to expectations on Saturday, capturing the 2020 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament championship after being picked preseason favorites. The Gorloks were in a similar situation last year, winning the regular-season title and hosting the tournament only to fall in the championship game. But this year was a different story with the Gorloks holding off a late-charging, hot shooting Greenville University for a 121-112 victory to win the program's third SLIAC Tournament title.
With the pressure of winning back-to-back regular-season titles, nearly sweeping every All-Conference individual award, and playing in front of their home crowd; the Gorloks did not waiver, jumping out to a 9-2 lead at the start of the game. Wynne Brown Jr. got the scoring started with a layup after teammate Jordan Clay picked the ball from a Panther player on their first possession. Brown Jr. continued to give fans an idea of what to expect, knocking down two more jumpers over the next three minutes to give the Gorloks the lead.
Webster limited Greenville to just 37-percent shooting in the first half while hitting 48-percent of their own shots. The Gorloks' strength on the offensive boards allowed them to keep their edge, scoring 17 second-chance points in the half.
Webster took a 57-46 lead into the break but quickly closed the score to 59-56 after a layup from Sontiago Grady at 17:41 on the clock in the second half. After knocking down just five three-pointers in the first half the Panthers heated up, particularly late, connecting on eight three's in the game's final 12-minutes. The Panthers tied the game up for the first time in the game at the 2:17 mark on a three from Marvin Bateman that made the score 107-107.
But it was Gorlok freshman phenom Brown Jr, the 2019-20 SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, that put the team on his back with a three of his own to quiet the Panther comeback. He then stole the ball back which led to a Rodson Etienne dunk that sparked an 11 point Gorlok run.
Webster shot 51-percent in the game, scoring 33 second-chance points (more than the output from their two regular-season games against Greenville combined), and limited their turnovers to just 15. Wynne Brown Jr. scored a game-high 34 points, adding six assists, and was named the SLIAC Tournament MVP. Rodson Etienne, also an All-Tournament member, added 27 points while Jordan Clay finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds.
Greenville was led by Bateman's 23 points with five Panthers reaching double figures in scoring for the game.
2020 SLIAC All-Tournament Team
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