NASHVILLE, TENN. – The Webster University women's basketball team improved to 9-1 on the season this afternoon as they defeated the Carthage (Wis.) College Firebirds in their first game of the Music City Classic by a final score of 58-45. With the loss, the Firebirds fall to 5-6 on the season.

The Gorloks went 20-for-55 (36.4%) from the floor. They outrebounded the Firebirds by a final count of 47-31 and pulled down 19 offensive boards compared to 10 from Carthage. They forced the Firebirds to turn the ball over 28 times in the contest while turning those turnovers into 26 points on the other end of the floor. Webster also dished out eight assists in the contest.

The Gorloks came out in the first quarter of the game and quickly jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the first four minutes of the contest. They pushed their lead to as many as 10 in the period and held a 17-9 advantage heading into the second. The Firebirds bounced back to start the second and cut Webster's lead to four midway through the frame. The Gorloks ended the half on a 6-0 run and took a 31-21 lead into the locker room.

The Firebirds came out of the locker room and cut the Gorloks lead back down to four in the first three minutes of the half. Webster picked it up as the period progressed and ended the quarter on a 10-3 run to take a 44-33 lead in the game. The Gorloks carried over their momentum into the final frame and pushed their lead to as many as 19 late in the contest. The Firebirds ended the game on an 8-2 run but Webster would close out the game to pick up their sixth straight win.

Bethany Lancaster led the way for Webster as she finished with 11 points and a game high 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Kate Rolfes also had a nice game as she finished with a team high 13 points in the contest. In addition, Emily Wilson finished with nine points and eight rebounds, Nysa Gilchrist added nine points, and Julie Baudendistel pulled down nine rebounds to round out the top performers for the Gorloks.

The women's basketball team will return to the court on Friday, December 30^th when they continue play in the Music City Classic. The Gorloks will take on the Penn State Behrend Lions at 12:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will take place at Welch College.