ST. LOUIS – The Centre men's basketball team traveled west to compete in the first of two contests at the Webster Invitational, this one against the host Webster Gorloks. The Colonels overcame a 13-point second half deficit to take a 73-61 victory.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- The opening minutes saw both teams struggle to make shots.
Kalib Thomas and
Landen Hamilton combined for Centre's first 11 points as they held the early lead.
- Webster made its first big run with eight minutes to go in the half as they pounded it inside for easy baskets and extended to a 33-20 lead after Centre managed only one made field goal in a five-minute stretch. The Colonels scored the final points of the half on an
Elijah Decker layup, but the Gorloks led 35-25 going into the break.
- An early Webster three gave the home team its largest lead of the second half at 40-27 before the Colonels hit the comeback trail. Centre went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes with Thomas scoring eight of those points, including consecutive threes.
- The Colonels trailed 46-39 before
Hunter Coleman and
Nolan Wahl cut the deficit to one after a pair of three-pointers. Centre finally retook the lead at 47-46 after Decker got inside to score, and the Colonels capped off the 11-0 run after an and-1 by Wahl to make it 50-46.
- Webster answered right back, scoring the next eight points to take a 54-50 lead and looked to recapture the momentum, but Wahl crashed the glass for another and-1 to cut it right back to a point.
- A putback by
Ryan Shene and a Thomas jumper gave Centre the lead once again at 57-56, starting a run of 13 unanswered points for the Colonels.
Jaxson Banks scored five big points during that run as Centre never trailed again, icing the game with outstanding free throw shooting in the final minutes.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Colonels dominated the second half statistically. They outscored Webster 48-26, held a 24-14 edge on the boards and shot 50 percent while limiting Webster to 31 percent.
- Four Centre players finished in double figures, led by Thomas, who tied for a game high with 19 points. Wahl, Hamilton and Banks each scored in double figures as well.
- Wahl hit new career highs with 17 points and 19 rebounds, the latter being the highest single game rebounding total for a Centre player in the 21st century. This helped the Colonels outrebound Webster by a 49-38 margin.
NEXT UP
- The Colonels will finish up in St. Louis on Saturday with a matchup against the Westminster Bluejays.
