WEBSTER GROVES (Feb. 23, 2021) – Webster University is set to make its long awaited 34th season debut this Wednesday, Feb. 24 as the Gorloks travel to Greenville, Ill., for a 5:30 p.m. St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest against Greenville University at H.J. Long Gymnasium on the Greenville campus.
 
Much like the men's game that follows conclusion of the women's game, Wednesday's opener will feature two of the winningest teams in the league over the past three seasons as Webster and Greenville have combined to win 81 league games and 118 overall games since the beginning of the 2017-18 season. Since 2017-18, Greenville had posted a 61-23 overall record and a 43-7 mark in the SLIAC and have won two of the last three regular season SLIAC titles, while Webster has gone 57-24 overall and 38-12 in the league and has captured two SLIAC Tournament titles and won the 2020 regular season league title.
 
"We're excited to finally get the chance to play basketball. Our kids are ready, and they now see the finish line and our excitement and focus is getting better heading into Wednesday's opener," said Webster head coach Jordan Olufson, who is entering his 13th season at the helm of the Gorlok women's basketball program.
 
Webster comes into this shortened season with high hopes as the Gorloks, who won both the regular season and league tournament titles a season ago and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years, were tabbed to repeat as the SLIAC Champion in this year's league's preseason poll that was voted on by the coaches.
 
Even though most coaches don't put a lot of stock in preseason polls, Olufson says that the poll reflects that his team has now become the hunted from being the hunter the last few years.
 
"We've always been the hunter and our message to the team last year was we are now being hunted and that same message applies to this season's team," Olufson added. "When we talk to our kids, our message is, 'You're being hunted, so you're not going to be able to have an off night and especially with us only playing 10 conference games. Each game is super important this year and when you're being chased every night, you have to be on your game every night,' so that has kind of been a motivating factor, but for us as coaches, we're just trying to get this team to reach its potential.
 
"I look at the poll as how potentially good we can be, but we're not that team right now." 
 
The reason for the high hopes once again this season for the Gorloks is the fact that they return four starters and eight letterwinners from last season's 20-8 squad that posted a 16-2 record in the league and claimed just the program's second-ever regular season league title and its first title since 2002. The 20-8 record marked Webster's fourth consecutive winning season and eighth winning season in the last 11 years.
 
"We are still trying to figure out who we are as a team. I know everybody talks about what we did last year, but I told our team the other day, we're not that team. We're the team without an All-American and a couple of other players, but we have a great nucleus back," said Olufson. "I praise our returners as this was the best our returners looked on picking stuff up since I've been in 14 years, but my heart goes to our freshmen as they are behind with the whole college experience and we're limited with what we can do in practice due to the COVID protocols."
 
This basketball season will look different for Webster than any other season in the program's history as due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SLIAC decided to play a non-traditional season of basketball during the 2020-21 school year as they moved the season from a November-February format previously to a February-April format this year. In addition to changing to a February-April format this season, each school in the league will play just 10 league games as opposed a slate of playing each school twice during the regular season.
 
With the switch to a 10-game schedule this season, Webster will play five home and five away games and will play each team in the league once with the exception of Greenville, Spalding and Westminster, who they will face twice during the abbreviated regular season thanks to the closure of MacMurray College at the end of the 2019-20 school year and Principia College opting out of the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic.
 
"It has been a really, really trying year. My heart has gone out to our players this whole year. It has been tough on our players on how to process and handle, not just from a basketball standpoint, but from a class being virtual or in person, but it has been tough," Olufson said about the adjustment his players have had to make this year. "I think our players have done a heck of a job dealing with, processing and doing the best they can to stay motivated, but we're here and we're excited to finally play."
 
One season after returning 85.3 percent of its scoring, 78.3 percent of its rebounding and 83.3 percent of its minutes played in 2018-19, the Gorloks return 70.1 percent of its scoring, 74.6 percent of its rebounding and 69.2 percent of its minutes played from last season's team.
 
Among the returning starters for the Gorloks are senior guard Naomi Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University), junior forward Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran), junior guard Hannah Cottrell (Steelville, Mo./Steelville) and sophomore forward Julie Baudendistel (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh).
 
Last season, Johnson and Beussink were each All-SLIAC performers as Johnson was a Second-Team All-SLIAC selection and Beussink repeated as a Third-Team All-SLIAC selection and was named the 2020 SLIAC Tournament MVP. In 2019-20, Johnson averaged 10.9 points and 2.8 assists per game and shot 39 percent from the 3-point line and 48 percent from the field and Beussink averaged 13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and led the team in blocks with 36 and shot 52 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line.
 
"Addi (Addison) is one of the best bigs in the country. She is consistent and is going to be a leader on both the offensive and defensive ends and we're super stoked about what she could do this year," added Olufson. "Nae (Naomi) is back and looks even better. She is shooting the ball extremely well. This is year three for her, so her experience goes up."
 
In addition to Johnson and Beussink, Cottrell averaged 9.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game and shot 41 percent from the field and Baudendistel averaged 10.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and shot 49 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line as a freshman starter.
 
"Hannah has always been consistent and I think she is getting more confident in her game from a kid who scored a ton of points in high school that we're now starting to see her shoot more in practice and doing some things," Olufson stated. "Julie (Baudendistel) is really good. Everything she does in practice is the right play. She makes great reads, has a great feel for the game, can shoot it at a high level, can score at a high level."
 
Along with those four starters, Olufson welcomes back four key reserves from last year's team that posted the program's fourth 20-win campaign in school history. Those four returning reserves are Along with those four returning starters, Olufson also returns four key reserves from last year's team that posted its fourth 20-win campaign in school history. Those four reserves are senior guard Kiara Rhines (Glendale, Ariz./Ironwood), senior forward Darieana Hunter (Norman, Okla./Norman), junior guard Lauryn Freeman (Fort Worth, Texas/Timber Creek) and junior guard Amaya Baker (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove).
 
"Dari and Kiara this is year four for them. Dari is beginning to wrap around that we are getting ready to play and her play is getting better," Olufson said. "This is the best we've seen Kiara in her four years. She puts a ton of time in and Lauryn (Freeman) is going to be asked to do more this year. Whatever she did last year with assists and steals, she has got to double it this year. We are also going to ask her to play better defense, something she was already pretty solid on that."
 
Olufson said he's very encouraged by his returners so far this season heading into Wednesday's season opener.
 
"We kind of like were our group is at right now," Olufson said. "I have been pretty encouraged by our returners and what they've been able to do and hopefully we can get our freshmen caught up."
 
During the season offseason, Olufson added five freshmen to his roster and those newcomers are forward Rachel Drennan (Parker, Colo./Rock Canyon), forward Emily Ederer (Doniphan, Mo./Doniphan), guard Jordyn Grimes (St. Louis, Mo./Fort Zumwalt North), forward Bethany Lancaster (Buffalo, Mo./Buffalo) and guard Braelyn Pobst (Chafee, Mo./Chafee).
 
"We have asked our freshmen to sprint forward, pick stuff up quicker and I'm pretty encouraged with some of our new players right now," Olufson said about his freshmen. "I think Jordyn is making pretty good progress right now. I think she's a natural leader the way she kind of leads her team in practice. She is super-fast, but she has got to be able to learn to play our fast system being controlled. One of her strengths is her speed and defensively she's also solid. Bethany is long and lanky and can run the floor super-hard and is a high energy player, but we're trying to get her to be consistent. I think she can be a game changer for us with her ability to block shots and rebound and Emily is another kid who is strong post player and we want her to help us rebound and score. She is still figuring things out, but her progression has been pretty good to date."
 
Those returners and newcomers will be expected to help Olufson mitigate the departure of All-American guard Jaysea Morgan who completed her four year Webster career in 2019-20. As a senior last season, Morgan was named the SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year, a First-Team All-SLIAC selection and earned Honorable Mention WBCA All-American honors. She was just the second Gorlok women's basketball player to earn All-American honors from the WBCA.
 
During her senior campaign, Morgan, who was also named to the Beyond Sports WBCA Division III All-Star Game, averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game and shot 52 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent at the free throw line. She tallied double-digits in scoring in a team best 21 games, including ending the season tallying double digits in seven of her last eight games and had four games of scoring 20 or more points, including a career high 25 points at home against Greenville. In addition, she also had four or more steals in a game seven times this season and 30 time in her career.

In the 2019-20 season, Morgan became the seventh member of Webster's 1,000 Point Club as she closed out her career with 1,063 points, which is seventh in school history and she holds the school record for career steals with 277 and that is ninth among active Division III players. In addition, Morgan led the league in steals with 78 and is 36th nationally in steals and is 33rd nationally in free throw percentage. She also closed her career sitting in the Top 10 in numerous career statistical categories besides scoring and assists as she holds the school's all-time mark for career free throw percentage (82.9 percent), tied for second in career games played (107), sixth in career free throws made (252), eighth in career field goals made (373), ninth in career free throws attempted (304), ninth in career minutes played (2,421) and 10th in field goals attempted (831).
 
"Jaysea was the true definition of what a Gorlok is on and off the court and we were blessed to have her the past four years," said Olfuson. "She was a tireless worker on and off the court. She excelled in the classroom with a 3.38 GPA and wore many hats all over campus on and off the floor. She put in so much time on her game and her work ethic was truly one of the best I've ever seen."
 
One area where Morgan's departure will be felt is in leadership and that is something that Olufson says will be hard to replace.
 
"Jaysea was a different kind of leader and sometimes it rubbed people the wrong way, but I think that is something that is missing a little bit right now. We have a Leadership Council and they're doing their part, but it's different leadership and I think our players need a little bit more intense leadership right now, but I think they're starting to realize that we need more outspoken, more direct leadership from our players," added Olufson. "We're losing a player, not just an All-American, but how she played, she set the tone. I think our freshmen must learn that and I think our returners have to step up to fill those shoes."

Despite the ongoing changes to the basketball season, practices, games, and athletics in general as everyone continues to deal with the ongoing and lasting effects of a global pandemic, Olufson has tried to make things as efficient as possible with his team this season.
 
"We are trying to stay as creative as possible to make the most out of our time when we practice and to be as efficient as you can be," the coach added. "I think it's been a tough year on everybody. I tell our returners all the time that they have to talk to our freshmen, because the freshmen think this is normal, this is what college is like and they all know from Julie the sophomore to Kiara the senior that this isn't what college looks like and better times are coming."
 
Olufson says that two of his teams goals this season are unity and defense.
 
"Our team has to unite. I think that is a key for us as we've always been a true team and play together and I think we're on the road to that and now with the games being here, I think it gets a little easier. I think our defense and our energy and effort has got to be huge. If we can't stop the ball in transition, that's going to be tough," added Olufson.
 
But perhaps the biggest key for the Gorloks this season according to Olufson is finding more people to step up and fill different roles than what they have in the past.
 
"I think perhaps the biggest thing for us this season is that we're going to need more people to step up and fill roles than we ever have. I think if we can do that, we can be successful. We have some question marks we must fill out, especially we it comes to our identity as a team and our rotations defensively," Olufson stressed.
  
Perhaps one of the biggest strengths for Webster over the past few years has been the Gorloks ability to play defense and force turnovers as last season, Webster seventh nationally in turnovers forced as they forced nearly 26 turnovers per game and averaged 13.8 steals per game and collected a total of 386 steals, which was tops in the SLIAC and 12th nationally in Division III. Over the last four seasons, the Gorloks have forced a total of 3,005 turnovers (28.1 per game) and has collected 1,716 steals (16.0 per game).
 
Olufson says that his team's defense is not where is normally is at this time, but he's hopeful it will be there as the season progresses.
 
"I think our returners and core look pretty good. They kind of pick up how we play defense, but our freshmen are still catching up," Olufson said about his team's grasp defensively. "I want to say where going to be there, but I think it's going to be a process and we might look rough for a little bit, but each day as we get closer to playing our energy and focus goes up and that's a big part of our defense. If you can't play at a high level or be intense than we're not going to be very good. We're encourage that every day we keep getting better defensively and we're excited to see what we can do."
 
Despite the pandemic, Olufson is encouraged that his team can play its same style of basketball this season and doesn't have to tone down what they normally do.
 
"We've put a lot of stock into things that we do well and what we want to do at practice, so I don't see a lot of change going on and again, credit to all the returners. The first time we did shell our returners got it, which is maybe a year ago we had to take a week to go through it. I think their knowledge and being able to build on where they have puts us in a better position," Olufson said. "I can call a play that we haven't run since last year and five returners know it, so that's great. I think a lot of this season is coming to come down to how much our returners can lead us and know their natural instincts of this is what we do and how we do it and then when we get our freshmen up to seed it's going to be even better."
 
Wednesday's season opening opponent, Greenville, comes into the game having played eight games already this season as the Panthers, who were tabbed to finish third in the Preseason SLIAC poll, are sporting a 2-6 overall record. The Panthers last game was on Feb. 17 as they picked up a 70-68 non-conference victory in overtime at Eureka College.
 
Following Wednesday's game at Greenville, the Gorloks will take a week off before hosting Spalding for a 5:30 p.m. game at Grant Gymnasium on Wednesday, March 3. Per SLIAC Conference policies this season, fans will not be permitted at indoor sporting events in the league this season.