BOX SCORE

Webster University is back on top of SLIAC Women's Basketball, winning 70-64 over Principia College in the 2026 championship game. The Gorloks have now won 8 SLIAC Championships in program history, a conference record, and four of the last five. 

Webster won the 2026 title against the team that ended their run last season but the difference this time was the Gorloks were on their home court; five of the last six titles the Gorloks have won have come on their court. 

Although they had the comfort of home it was Principia College that controlled the start of the game. Trinniti Matthews was nearly unstoppable in the first quarter, scoring 10 of her team's 14 points as they held a 14-13 lead after ten-minutes. The Panthers opened up that lead in the second quarter and took a 34-29 lead into halftime.

However Webster showed their resilience late in the second quarter to get back into the game before half. Down 13 points with 2:40 on the clock the Gorloks scored the final six points of the half to build some momentum going into the break.

That momentum continued into the third quarter as Webster scored the first six points of the second-half, putting them on a 12-0 run, and giving them a 35-34 lead with 6:51 on the clock. A three from Akaela Caquelin put the Gorloks up six and sparked the Gorloks to an 11-point lead with 5:18 to play.

Principia, who overcame a late deficit in last year's championship game against Webster, attempted a second straight such run on Saturday. Matthews started the Panthers run and after a three from Hannah Myers, Taylor Brown brought Principia within two points with 2:41 left. 

Once again it was the resilient Gorloks that stepped up. After forward Meghan Illingworth had to leave the game with an injury four different Gorloks scored in the game's final four minutes to hold off the Panther run. Daijah Jones started that scoring with three points including a jumper in the paint. Miya Webb followed with a layup while a pair of Claire Williams free-throws put the Gorloks up 67-60 with under 30-seconds left. The Gorloks hit three-of-four free-throws in the final seconds, clinching the win in front of their home crowd.

Webster's offense came alive in the second-half putting up 20 points in the third quarter and closing the game out with a game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter. Webster shot 38-percent in the game but made 5-of-10 shots from the field in the final ten minutes including two-of-three from long range and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Illingworth scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to earn Tournament MVP honors while Caquelin finished with 17 points. Trinniti Matthews led Principia with 18 points.