The Webster University women's basketball team opened the Cruzin' Classic in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, with an 84-74 loss to Piedmont College (GA) on December 19.  The Gorloks grabbed an 8-0 lead to open the contest but the Lions took a halftime lead and, with a flurry of free throws, held on in the game's final minutes.

Webster was down by one at the half, 38-37, and by four, 59-55, after three periods.  The Gorloks had tied the Lions six different times in the third.  Webster stayed within striking distance in the fourth but fell behind, 70-62, with jsix minutes left in the game after a Piedmont three-pointer.  A jumper by Nadine Vaughn (JR, Pana, IL/Pana HS) pulled Webster within four, 74-70, with 2:17 remaining but Piedmont hit 10 of 11 free throws in the final 1:51 to nail down the win. 

Despite outrebounding Piedmont for the game, 40-31, the tale of the tape was at the three-point line where the Lions were 7-18 (39%) compared to the Gorloks' 1-12 (11%).  Brittany Harris-Conway (SR, St. James, MO/John F. Hodge HS) had a team-high 14 points for Webster.  Taylor Lucas (SO, Sullivan, MO/Sullivan HS) came off the bench to score 12 points and grab a team-high seven rebounds.  Lucas was 5-8 (62.5%) from the field.

Aley Lucas (SO, Sullivan, MO/Sullivan HS) had 10 points, coming off the bench as well, and adding four rebounds.  She was 3-4 (75%) from the field and 4-5 (80%) from the line.  Kelsey Miller (SO, Elizabeth, IN/South Central HS) had 12 points before fouling out of the contest.  Miller was 8-8 from the free throw line.

Vaughn and Paige Buechele (JR, Lebanon, IL/Lebanon HS) would also foul out of the game for Webster.

Piedmont, located in Demorest, GA, is a member of the USA South Athletic Conference.  The Lions, who finished 19-7 in 2014-15, were 4-4 entering the contest having lost a buzzer-beater the previous day to Johnson & Wales College in the Classic.

Webster is now 3-4 on the season.  The Gorloks wind up the Cruzin' Classic with a contest vs. Loras College (IA) on December 20.  Webster will be home on December 30 as the team hosts Rust College (MS) for its final contest of 2015.