GALLATIN, Tenn. - Webster University Women's Basketball extended its win streak to four consecutive games here Friday evening as the Gorloks posted an 87-47 victory over Welch College at the Welch College Student Activities Center.
It marks the first time since the 2016-17 season that Webster has posted back-to-back victories of 39 or more points as the Gorloks entered Friday's game fresh off a 52-point home win (99-45) over MacMurray College in its St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference home opener. In 2016-17, Webster posted a 96-49 win at home of Blackburn and then collected a 106-61 home win over MacMurray College.
With the win, Webster improves to 6-1 overall and has won now four straight games since suffering a 63-59 home loss to Augustana on Nov. 24. Welch falls to 3-10 on the season.
"We got off to a slow and sluggish start tonight, but finally picked it up with a couple of scoring runs," Webster head coach
Jordan Olufson said following Friday's win.
In Friday's game, the Gorloks scored 20-plus points in the first three periods and then scored 19 points in the fourth period. At the half, Webster led 44-30.
Welch was held to less than 20 points in all four periods, including scoring just five points in the final period. The five points were the fewest allowed by Webster in any period this season and the first time they allowed five of fewer points in a period since limiting Iowa Wesleyan to five points in the third period of the Gorloks 70-45 win last season in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Webster has allowed less than 10 points in a period seven times this season.
Junior guard
Naomi Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) paced Webster's offensive attack with a collegiate career high of 19 points. In addition to Johnson, redshirt sophomore
Kaylee Heggemann (Washington, Mo./Three River Community College) tallied a career-high 13 points and six rebounds off the bench. For the game, Webster's bench combined to score 41 points in the win.
Along with Johnson and Heggemann, junior guard
Jaysea Morgan (Fisk, Mo./Twin Rivers) and freshman forward
Taylor Zarr (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) each scored nine points and freshman guard
Hannah Cottrell (Steelville, Mo./Steelville) chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. The seven rebounds and four steals were both career highs for Cottrell.
After forcing a school record 54 turnovers in Wednesday's game against MacMurray, Webster's defense forced the Lady Flames into 30 turnovers and collected 22 steals on the night. Along with Cottrell, sophomore guard
Kiara Rhines (Glendale, Ariz./Ironwood) and freshman forward
Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran) each also had four steals in the win.
Webster struggled shooting the ball as they finished the game making just 40 percent (32-for-81) of its field goals, but they made 42 percent (5-for-12) of its 3-point shot attempts.
The Gorloks defense held the Lady Flames to 31 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent (4-for-14) shooting from long distance.
Welch was led offensively on the night by 19 points from Caitlyn Braxton, while Abby Bragg added 11 points in the loss. Those two players combined to commit 15 of Welch's 30 turnovers.
Webster also held a 61-33 edge on the glass, including collecting a season high 33 offensive boards. Beussink led the way in rebounding for the Gorloks as she pulled down 10 boards, including seven offensive boards. The 61 rebounds is tied for second most in a game in school history and the most rebounds in a game since collecting a school record 64 boards on Nov. 22, 2016 against Morthland College.
The Gorloks were also strong at the free throw line in Friday's game as they shot 72 percent (18-for-25) at the line, while Welch finished 6-for-8 (75 percent) from the charity stripe.
Webster will look to make its five consecutive wins as they travel to Lookout Mountain, Ga., on Saturday, Dec. 8 for a 1 p.m. Eastern game against Covenant College (1-6 overall).
