WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University Women's Basketball forced a school record 54 turnovers and scored a season high 99 points en route to posting a 99-45 victory over MacMurray College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Grant Gymnasium on the Webster University campus.

The 54 forced turnovers bettered the old school record of 52 turnovers against Robert Morris-Springfield on Dec. 5, 2016. In that game, Webster won by a school record margin of 82 points, 106-24. 

With the win, Webster improves to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the SLIAC, while MacMurray fell to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the SLIAC. The 3-0 start to league play is the first for the Gorloks since opening SLIAC play 4-0 during the 2009-10 season. 

In Wednesday's win, Webster scored 68 points off of MacMurray's 54 turnovers and finished the game with a season high 30 steals. The 30 steals is tied for the second most in a game in school history. 

For the game, 10 Gorloks collected at least one steal, including freshman guard Lauryn Freeman (Fort Worth, Texas/Timber Creek) collecting a career-high six steals, while junior guard Jaysea Morgan (Fisk, Mo./Twin Rivers) and sophomore guard Naomi Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) each had five steals in the win. The six steals were the most in a game since Kelsey Miller picked up seven steals last season at Blackburn. 

The 54 point victory margin was the largest for the Gorloks this season and the largest in a game since that 82 point win against Robert Morris-Springfield in 2016. 

Against the Highlanders, Webster played all 19 players that dressed for the game and 17 of those 19 players scored at least two points in the win, including freshman forward Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran) leading the way with 13 points and team-high seven rebounds. Beussink has now led Webster in scoring in four of its six games this season.

Along with Beussink's fifth straight double-digit scoring effort, Johnson and freshman guard Caity Jones (West Plains, Mo./Thayer) each scored 11 points, while sophomore guard Kiara Rhines (Glendale, Ariz./Ironwood) added a career-high nine points off the bench and Morgan finished with eight points, four rebounds and three assists to go along with her five steals. 

Webster got off to a fast start in Wednesday's game as they scored the game's first seven points in the opening 90 seconds and led 16-2 just three-plus minutes into the contest. The Highlanders, though, would answer with a 12-7 run to pull within 23-14 with 2:38 left in the opening period. The Gorloks would respond by closing the opening period on a 14-6 run to take a 37-20 lead after one period. In the period, WU shot 72 percent from the field, 50 percent from the 3-point line and was 9-for-10 at the line and Beussink scored nine of her 13 points in the period. 

The Gorloks outscored MacMurray, 12-6 in the second period to take a 49-26 lead at the half. In the second period, the two teams combined to make just six of their 24 field goal attempts as WU shot 24 percent (4-for-17) from the floor and MacMurray shot 29 percent (2-for-7) from the field.

Webster put the game out of reach in the third period as they outscored the Highlanders, 28-6 to take a 77-32 lead heading into the fourth period. In the period, MacMurray scored three of the first five points in the period to drop WU's lead to 51-29, but the Gorloks responded with a 20-0 run to push out to a 71-29 advantage. The run was aided by 10 turnovers by the Highlanders that led to 10 lay-ups off by the Gorloks, including four points each from Beussink, Johnson, Rhines and Jones. Alexis Doyle stopped the Gorlok run with two free throws at the 1:21 mark, but the WU would close out the period on a 6-1 run.

After three periods, MacMurray had recorded 44 turnovers and the Gorloks had collected 28 steals. 

In the fourth period, Webster outscored MacMurray, 22-13 as the Highlanders had 10 turnovers in the period. The Gorloks opened the final period by scoring the first nine points to push its lead to 85-32 following a lay-up by freshman guard Amaya Baker (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove). After MacMurray would score four of the next six points to cut WU's lead to 87-38, freshman forward Lauryn French (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica Catholic) scored on a lay-up with 2:37 left in the game to begin an 8-2 run by the Gorloks that was aided by consecutive 3-pointers from freshman guard Juliana Marrero (Port St. Lucia, Fla./Vero Beach). Marrero's second trey gave Webster a 97-40 lead with 1:02 left in the game. The six points from Marrero were the first points of her collegiate career.

Webster finished the game shooting 44 percent from the field and 33 percent (5-for-15) from the 3-point line and scored 20 or more points in three of the four periods, including a season high 37 points in the opening period.

MacMurray, who has now 12 consecutive games to the Gorloks, was paced offensively on the night by Shelby Fink as she tallied 10 points and had 10 turnovers off the bench. In addition to Fink, Alexis Doyle and Chassidy Hays each had nine points for the Highlanders. 

The Highlanders shot 40 percent from the field and 50 percent from the 3-point line in the loss. 

Webster finished with a 41-38 edge on the glass, including collecting 22 offensive rebounds and dished out 20 assists on its season high 39 made baskets. The 39 made field goals is tied for fifth most in a game in school history.

Along with making 39 field goals, the Gorloks took a school record 89 field goals in the game. 

The game also featured a total of combined total of 48 fouls being called between the two teams as the two teams combined to shoot 53 free throws in the game. MacMurray was 19-for-29 (65.5 percent) at the line, while Webster finished 16-for-24 (66.7 percent) from the charity stripe.

Webster will put its three game win streak on the line this coming Friday, Dec. 7 as they travel to Gallatin, Tenn., for a 5 p.m. non-conference game against Welch College. Less than 24 hours after its game at Welch, the Gorloks will play a 12 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Covenant College in Point Lookout, Ga.