WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University used 50 percent shooting from the field and a 30-15 edge in points off turnovers here Friday evening to post a 78-63 victory over No. 4 seeded Greenville University in the second semifinal round game of the 2020 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament at Grant Gymnasium. 

With Friday's victory, the top-seeded Gorloks will look to take home its fourth all-time SLIAC Tournament title and second in the last three years as they host third-seeded Spalding University for the championship on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. The winner of the SLIAC Tournament will receive the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. Spalding earned its spot in the championship with an 84-74 win over No. 2 seeded Fontbonne University in the first semifinal round game on Friday. 

Webster, who earned its second regular season title and first since 2002 this season, pushed its win streak to six consecutive games and improved its overall record to 19-7, while Greenville closes the season with a 16-10 record. The 19 wins are tied for the fourth most in the program's history.

In Friday's win over Greenville, which was the third of the 2019-20 season over the Panthers, the Gorloks shot 50 percent from the field and 89 percent (16-for-18) from the free throw line and put five players in double figures led by sophomore forward Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran), who tallied 18 points and fell one rebound shy of a double-double as she pulled down nine boards in the win. 

But perhaps the biggest contributor to Webster's win was their defense as the Gorloks forced the Panthers into 20 turnovers and those 20 turnovers were turned into 30 points as Webster held a 30-15 edge in points off those turnovers and that 15 point margin was what the Gorloks won the game by on Friday. 

The Gorloks defense also held Greenville to 28 percent shooting (5-for-18) from the 3-point line in the win. But the Gorloks also struggled from the 3-point line as they made just two of their 17 3-point attempts and shot 12 percent from long distance. The Gorloks entered the game leading the league in 3-point shooting at 36.8 percent. 

Along with Beussink's 18 points and nine rebounds, sophomore guard Hannah Cottrell (Steelville, Mo./Steelville) added 13 points, while freshman forward Julie Baudendistel (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh) had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. Sophomore forward Taylor Zarr (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) and sophomore guard Lauryn Freeman (Fort Worth, Texas/Timber Creek) each had 10 points and combined for eight rebounds off the bench as Webster held a 22-7 edge in points off the bench.

Greenville, who were the defending SLIAC Tournament champions, jumped in front 11-4 in the opening four minutes of Friday's game, before the Gorloks closed the opening half on a 15-7 run to lead 19-18 after the opening 10 minutes. The run was capped by five straight points from Cottrell, including hitting a trey right before the buzzer to end the period.

In the second period, the teams combined to shoot 9-for-29 (31 percent) from the field and both teams were a combined 1-for-10 (10 percent) from the 3-point line, but the Gorloks would score 14 points in the period to take a 33-27 lead at the half.

Greenville would open the third period on a 13-8 run to cut Webster's six point halftime lead to 41-40 following two free throws by Madelyn Stephen with 5:42 left in the period. The Gorloks, though, would respond with an 11-3 run to push out to a 52-43 lead with 2:06 left in the period. Stephen, though, would drill a trey with 1:45 left to stop Webster's run, but the Gorloks would use baskets by Zarr and junior guard Naomi Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) to push its lead to 56-46 heading into the fourth period.

After Zarr opened the fourth period with a bucket just 29 seconds into the period to give the Gorloks a 58-46 lead, the Panthers would mount one more rally as they scored eight straight points capped by two free throws from Brittany Lopez to bring Greenville with four at 58-54. 

That would be as close as the Panthers would get as the Gorloks used an 8-2 run capped by back-to-back lay-ups from Beussink and Baudendistel to push its lead to 66-56 with 3:59 left in the game. After GU would score four of the next six points to pull within 68-60, the Gorloks would hit 8-of-9 free throws and use a lay-up from Freeman to cap the scoring. 

Stephen would pace Greenville with a game high 19 points and added six boards in the loss. In addition to Stephan, Emily Reinneck, who was named the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, added 12 points and senior Hannah Krukewitt added 11 points and six boards.

Webster finished the game with a 35-24 edge on the glass, including picking up 13 offensive boards, while both teams each had 20 assists. Greenville and Webster are first and second nationally in Division III in assists per game as they Friday's action averaging 20.4 and 20.3 assists per game respectively. 

The Panthers shot 46 percent from the field in the loss.