Owls secure No. 2 seed after defeating league-leading Webster, 80-60

Mississippi University for Women’s men’s basketball team defeated league leader Webster University 80-60 on Saturday, ensuring the Owls secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

The Owls (15-10, 11-5 SLIAC) will receive a first-round bye and advance directly to the semifinals set for Feb. 26 in St. Louis. Webster (22-3, 15-1 SLIAC) suffered its first conference loss of the season in the game.

MUW head coach Dean Burrows said the victory was about more than just the upset. “Most would probably think this was about Webster’s undefeated conference record coming into today,” he said. “But for us, it was about securing the two seed, getting a bye, and an extra day of rest for our team.” Burrows praised his team’s focus during pregame warm-up and highlighted their balanced performance across statistical categories, aside from a rebounding deficit.

Webster struggled offensively, shooting just 32 percent from the field under MUW’s aggressive defense. The Gorloks scored first but tied the game at 7-7 with 15:02 remaining in the first half. Jackson Reid’s layup from Joe Haze Austin put the Owls ahead, and they never looked back. MUW led 37-22 at halftime, thanks to efficient shooting that saw the Owls hit 56 percent of their shots for the game.

Leading scorer Tray Huguley posted his school-record 16th double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Austin matched Huguley’s scoring output with his own 23 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and perfect from the free-throw line. Tyler Shephard contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, while senior Trent Walker finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks in his final home game.

The Owls maintained a double-digit lead most of the second half, pushing it to 23 points with 15 minutes remaining. Webster cut the margin to 13 but could not close the gap further.

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