FULTON, Mo. - Webster University Women's Basketball used five double figure scorers and a 47-29 lead at the half to help the Gorloks to a 73-59 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference road win here Saturday afternoon over Westminster College at the Historic Gym on the Westminster campus. 

With the victory, Webster won its second straight game and improved to 2-1 overall and 2-1 in the SLIAC, while Westminster falls to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the SLIAC. The win helped the Gorloks remain in a tie for second place in the league standings with both Westminster and Greenville. 

Sophomore forward Julie Baudendistel (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh) was one of four Gorloks to post double figures as she tallied 16 points and added seven rebounds, including scoring 14 of those points in the first half. Baudendistel is the team's leading scorer this season as she is averaging 19.3 points per game.

In addition to Baudendistel, junior forward Addison Beussink (Jackson, Mo./Saxony Lutheran) and junior guard Hannah Cottrell (Steelville, Mo./Steelville) each had 15 points, while junior guard Lauryn Freeman (Fort Worth, Texas/Timber Creek) added 12 points and seven rebounds and senior guard Naomi Johnson (St. Louis, Mo./Greenville University) had 10 points in the win. 

While five Gorloks scored in double figures, only six players scored for Webster in the win as junior guard Amaya Baker (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove) scored five points off the bench. 

Westminster held an early 6-4 lead in the opening three-plus minutes, but that lead would quickly evaporate as the Gorloks used a 14-0 run over a span of three-plus minutes to take an 18-6 lead. Cottrell and Johnson combined for nine of the 12 points during the run. The lead would remain in double figures until the Blue Jays closed the first quarter by scoring four of the final six points to drop WU's lead to 22-14 after the opening 10 minutes.

The Gorloks would open the second quarter on a 6-2 run to push its lead to 28-16 just two minutes into the period. Westminster, though, would respond with an 8-2 run to cut WU's lead to 30-26 with 5:14 left in the quarter. 

Following that run by the 'Jays, the Gorloks would take control of the quarter as they outscored Westminster, 17-3 over the final five minutes of the quarter to take a 47-29 lead at the half. Beussink and Baudendistel combined to score 14 of WU's 25 second quarter points.

After holding an 18-point lead at the half, the Gorloks opened the third quarter by scoring the first four points to push its to 22 points at 51-29. That lead would the largest of the game for the Gorloks. 

Westminster would slowly start chipping away at WU's lead as they used a 9-2 run to pull within 53-38 with 6:26 left in the third quarter. A basket and two free throws by Freeman gave the Gorloks a 57-38 lead with 5:13 left in the quarter, before WC closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to cut Webster's lead to 59-47 heading into the final quarter. 

Trailing by 12 points going to the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays sliced four points off of WU's lead in the opening three minutes of the quarter, but that would be as close as Westminster would get as the Gorloks pushed its lead back to double digits on a basket by Cottrell with 5:27 left in the game and the Gorloks lead would remain in double figures the remainder of the game, including closing the game with Cottrell making 5-of-6 free throws over the final 2:06 of the contest. 

Westminster was paced offensively by 11 points from Kailee Dowler, while Avylina Powel-Qualo and Abby Nichols added nine points and Shelby Kurtz chipped in with eight points. 

The Gorloks were outrebounded 40-29, including 15-9 on the offensive side that led to a 20-6 edge in second chance points, but that rebound deficit was made up by Webster forcing 24 turnovers that led to 19 points. Webster committed 16 turnovers for the game. 

Webster shot 43 percent from the field, while Westminster shot 38 percent from the floor. 

Both teams struggled from long distance on Saturday as the two teams went a combined 3-for-25 from the 3-point line as Webster went 1-for-11 (9 percent) and Westminster was 2-for-14 (14 percent) from the 3-point arc.

Webster also held a 28-7 edge in free throws as the Gorloks shot 71 percent (20-for-28) from the line and Westminster was 5-for-7 (71 percent) at the line. 

The Gorloks look to win its third consecutive game as they host Iowa Wesleyan for a 5:30 p.m. SLIAC game on Tuesday, March 9 at Grant Gymnasium. Per SLIAC rules, no fans will be allowed to attend any indoor sporting event this season at any of the SLIAC schools due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.