Round one of the 2011-12 "Battle of Big Bend," which pits both Gorlok basketball squads against SLIAC rival, Fontbonne University, takes place on Saturday, January 21, at Fontbonne.  Divided only by four miles of Big Bend Avenue, there is something special when the two schools meet on the field of play.  Not unlike the Cards-Cubs rivalry, no matter how the fortunes of the two teams are going that season, the games and the fans always make it a spirited affair. 
 
Starting on the women's side, both schools are locked in a battle for the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's upper echelon as both Webster and Fontbonne are tied for third place with 5-2 records, one half game out of second.  A victory will tie the winner for second place with Eureka College at the halfway point in the conference schedule.  The loser will tumble into fourth.  For Webster's women, a victory would also put them within one win of the elusive .500 mark for the season.

The Griffin women hold a heavy advantage in the all-time series between the two teams in the SLIAC, leading 35-11.  Fontbonne dominated in the early going, winning 22 of the first 24 meetings.  In recent years, the rivalry has more see-sawed back and forth, with the Griffins owning a 13-9 edge since 2002.

While the Fontbonne men are wallowing in the SLIAC second division with a 2-5 record, a win over the Gorloks, who sit alone in first with a perfect 7-0 mark, would be the bright spot to date on a 3-12 season.  The Griffins are also only two losses out of fourth place and with nine SLIAC games remaining still are trying to into the playoff picture for the season-ending conference tournament. 

The Gorlok men lead the all-time SLIAC series 23-22, with the Griffins controlling the early years of the rivalry.  Webster has been the dominent force in recent years, winning 14 of the last 16 meetings, including an eight game win streak at present.

The Webster and Fontbonne women's teams take the floor at 1 PM, with the men's teams tipping off immediately following at 3 PM.  Admission is free.  If you can't make it to the games in person, you can follow all the action live on videostream at websterathletics.com.