Webster beats The W 74-67 in SLIAC showdown
St. Louis, Mo. — Webster University edged The W, 74-67, in a key SLIAC matchup at Grant Gym. The game featured the league’s top two teams, with Webster improving to 15-2 overall and 8-0 in conference. The Owls, ranked second, fell to 10-7 overall and 6-2 in the league, snapping a five-game winning streak and a six-game conference win streak.
The Owls held the lead for nearly 12 minutes in the first half, going up by as many as nine points on a Tyler Shephard three-pointer with 5:21 remaining before halftime. However, leading scorer and rebounder Tray Huguley suffered a leg injury with 4:27 left in the half and did not return before the break. Webster closed the half on an 8-2 run, taking a 35-34 lead into halftime.
Huguley remained sidelined at the start of the second half, and Webster pushed its lead to as many as 11 points. The Owls trimmed the gap to seven, 47-40, when Huguley re-entered the game with 15:55 remaining. Over the next 2:34, The W narrowed the margin to 49-48, but was unable to overtake the Gorloks, who maintained a slim lead through the final minutes.
“Tonight, this group earned the word we say after every huddle: ‘heart,'” said MUW Head Coach Dean Burrows. “That was the gutsiest effort I’ve ever seen from a group, and that’s saying something. Games like this in conference come down to lay-ups and free throws, which we didn’t execute tonight. We did a great job defending one of the league’s best players, Charles Nelson. We need to get healthy before our next game.”
Shephard led all scorers with 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including 2-for-4 from three-point range. He made six of eight free throws and grabbed five rebounds. Huguley finished with 12 points, 10 before his injury, along with six rebounds and two blocks. Devin McCaine added 14 points, and Trent Walker contributed nine points, seven rebounds, three steals, and a block. Joe Haze Austin scored four points but contributed six rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks.
The Owls will have a week off due to forecasted severe weather and return to play next Thursday at Greenville University. In their last meeting on December 6, 2025, MUW defeated Greenville 142-109 in Columbus, Ohio, combining for 251 points.
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