CLAYTON, Mo. - Webster University Women's Basketball opened St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play here Wednesday evening by scoring a season high 83 points en route to posting an 83-59 victory over Fontbonne University at Lee McKinney Court in Mabee Gymnasium on the Fontbonne campus.

With the victory, Webster improves to 3-1 on the season and opens SLIAC play with a win for just the second time in the last five seasons. Fontbonne fell to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the league with the loss. 

In Wednesday's game, the Gorloks, who have now won four straight games against the Griffins, scored 19 or more points in three of the four periods, including scoring 26 points in the opening period. The 26 points in the first period is tied for the most points in a period this season as Webster also scored 26 points in the third period of its 73-44 win over Concordia (Chicago) in the Webster Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 17. 

For the game, 11 of the 15 players that saw action scored at least two points, including three players finishing in double digits, led by freshman guard Hannah Cottrell (Steelville, Mo./Steelville), who tallied a career-high 20 points and also added five assists and four steals. Cottrell, who scored 11 of her points in the first half, is the first Gorlok this season to score 20 points in a game. 

In addition to Cottrell's game-high 20 points, freshman forward Brylee Manes (Republic, Mo./Republic) added a career high 13 points and seven rebounds, while freshman forward Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran) recorded her third consecutive double-double as she finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. 

Two other Gorloks just missed reaching double figures as senior guard Jaysea Morgan (Fisk, Mo,/Twin Rivers) had nine points and a career-high tying seven assists and freshman forward Taylor Zarr (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) had eight points in the win. 

Fontbonne opened the game by scoring six of the first 11 points and led 6-5 just a little over three minutes into the game, when the Gorloks responded with a 15-2 run over a span of five-plus minutes to take a 20-8 lead following a lay-up by Zarr. Zarr scored four of WU's points during the run that began with a trey from Manes with 6:12 left in the opening period.

Fontbonne opened the second period with a trey from Riley Guffey to drop WU's lead to 26-13, but the Gorloks answered with a 19-7 run over the final seven-plus minutes of the period to take a 45-20 lead at the half. The run was aided by a combined 11 points from Cottrell and freshman guard Caity Jones (West Plains, Mo./Thayer). 

Webster's margin of victory is even more surprising considering they turned the ball over a a season high 30 times, including 17 turnovers in the second half. Those 30 turnovers led to 25 points by Fontbonne. In is last two games, Webster has totaled 58 turnovers as they committed 28 turnovers in its 62-59 home loss on Saturday against Augustana.

In fact, the game featured a total of 60 turnovers as Webster forced Fontbonne into 30 turnovers themselves and those 30 turnovers led to 29 points. WU collected a season high 20 steals, including five from Morgan and four apiece from both Beussink and Cottrell. 

While they struggled to take care of the ball, Webster's offense shot a season high 55 percent from the field and was 5-for-16 (31 percent) from the 3-point line. In addition, the Gorloks were 10-for-12 at the free throw line. 

Fontbonne opened the third period by scoring eight of the first 10 points to pull within 47-28 with 7:19 left in the period. WU, though, answered with a 13-4 run that began with a basket from Zarr and was capped by a fast break lay-up by Morgan to give the Gorloks a 60-32 advantage with 2:06 left in the period. The 28 point lead was the largest of the game for Webster.

The Griffins would score five of the period's final seven points to cut Webster's lead to 62-37 heading into the final period. 

Fontbonne would outscore the Gorlock, 22-21 in the final period to set the final margin. 

In the final period, redshirt sophomore forward Kaylee Heggemann (Washington, Mo./Three Rivers Community College) and freshman forward Scarlett Anosier (Boynton Beach, Fla./Grandview Prep) each scored their first career collegiate points as Heggemann first collegiate basket came with 1:47 left in the game, while Anosier's first collegiate basket came on a lay-up with 2:30 left in the game. Anosier made her collegiate debut in Wednesday's game. 

Venegas led the way for the Griffins with 10 points and seven boards, while Mallory Proffer added nine points and Rylee Stafford and Chloe Loehr each had eight points in the loss. 

Fontbonne finished the game shooting 37 percent from the field and 25 percent (6-for-24) from long distance. The Griffins struggled at the free throw line as they shot 59 percent (13-for-22) at the line. 

Webster held a 41-28 edge on the glass and dished out 18 assists. The Gorloks have recorded 18 or more assists in three of its first four games this season. 

The Gorloks will look to make it two consecutive wins in SLIAC play this coming Saturday, Dec. 1 as Webster travels to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, for a 1 p.m. contest against Iowa Wesleyan. The Tigers opened league play on Wednesday 78-55 loss at Westminster (Mo.) College.