ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In a battle of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (SLIAC) top two teams, the second-place The W squad came up short versus league-leader Webster University, 74-67, at Grant Gym.  The loss snapped the Owls' (10-7, 6-2 SLIAC) five-game win streak – and six-game string of conference wins – while the Gorloks (15-2, 8-0 SLIAC) kept their SLIAC record unblemished.
 
MUW held the lead in the opening half for nearly 12 minutes of elapsed time, leading by as many as nine points, 32-23, on a Tyler Shephard three-pointer with 5:21 left until the half. The Owls still led by five points with 4:27 left when leading scorer and rebounder Tray Huguley suffered a leg injury and did not return before the break.
 
Webster took advantage of the situation and closed the first half on an 8-2 run, taking a 35-34 lead into the locker room. With Huguley still sidelined to begin the second half, the Gorloks led by as many as 11 points and were still up by seven, 47-40, when Huguley checked back into the Owls' lineup with 15:55 remaining.
 
Over the next 2:34 minutes, The W managed to within a single point at 49-48, with 13:21 to play. The gritty Owls kept Webster in sight, behind by one or two possessions the vast majority of the waning minutes, but were never quite able to get over the hump to overtake the SLIAC frontrunners.
 
"Tonight, this group earned the word we say after we break every huddle: 'heart'," MUW Head Coach Dean Burrows praised. "That was the gutsiest effort I've ever had a group give us, and that's saying something. Games like this, in conference, with two really good teams trading blows will forever come down to lay-ups and made free throws, which is where we didn't help ourselves tonight. Our guys did an incredible job on one of, IF not the best players in our league (WU's Charles Nelson). We need to try and find a way to get healthy before we head back out on the road in the middle of next week."
 
Shephard finished with a game-high 24 points on an 8-for-15 shooting effort, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Shephard also converted 6-of-8 free throws and snared five rebounds.
 
The hampered Huguley booked a total of 12 points, 10 of which he had prior to being injured. Huguley grabbed six rebounds and had two blocks, as well.
 
Devin McCaine contributed 14 points and Trent Walker added nine. The senior Walker also pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds, made three steals, and blocked a shot.
 
Joe Haze Austin was held to four points – well below his 13.6 points per game average – but managed to contribute in most other manners with six rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks on his ledger.
 
The W will enjoy a week off - courtesy of the forecast of severe weather - and resume action next Thursday (January 29/7:30 p.m.) at high-octane Greenville University. In the last meeting between the MUW and GU, in Columbus on December 6, 2025, the clubs combined for 251 points, in the Owls', 142-109, victory.