Webster Women Claim SLIAC Tourney Crown

FULTON, Mo. - Dominating from start to finish, the Webster University women's basketball team bulled its way to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) tournament championship, defeating host Westminster College, 74-58. Webster will make its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament since 2005.

Teeming with confidence after overcoming a 12-point deficit to win in the first-round, the Gorloks outworked the Blue Jays and controlled the pace of the game throughout. Grabbing an early lead it never relinquished, the Gorlok defense took the high-scoring Blue Jays out of their game.

Katy Meyer helped set the pace by scoring 19 first half points and grabbing six rebounds. Meyer, Tori Fenemor, and Megan Willett established a presence underneath the basket in the first half for Webster, scoring numerous layups and lessening the reliance on an outside shooting game.

With Webster nursing a comfortable lead, Maggie Zehner picked up the scoring slack and picked up the bulk of her 17 points. For her efforts Meyer was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the 2011 SLIAC Women's Basketball Tournament. Zehner was selected to the 2011 All-Tournament Team.

Also earning All-Tournament Team honors from Westminster were Rachel Backes and Heather Letourneau, from Fontbonne Shelby Ellison and from Greenville Emmalee Fladland.

Webster becomes the first #3 seed to win a women's basketball SLIAC tournament, and the first non-number one seed to win since the Gorloks won the title in 2005 as the #2 seed. Westminster came into the final 20-5 and had completed a perfect 16-0 regular season in the SLIAC.

The Gorloks improved to 17-10 on the season and await word from the NCAA as to where and when they will be playing their first round match-up. The NCAA Selection Committee will announce the brackets on Monday, February 28.

Courtesy Webster University sports information