The Forester men's basketball team dropped a 93-80 decision at St. Norbert College, the seventh-ranked team in the nation, Tuesday night. Lake Forest sophomore guard Andrew Toth knocked down five three-pointers and led all players in the contest with a career-high 24 points.
Toth was 5-for-9 from beyond the arc and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. He also added four rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Freshman guard Danny Nikitas was the only other Forester in double figures with 18 points and he dished out a team-high six assists. Senior forward Tyrone Staggers came off the bench to lead the visitors with seven rebounds.
St. Norbert jumped out to a 30-13 lead but the Foresters outscored the home team 21-7 during the rest of the first half and trailed by just three (37-34) at halftime. The Green Knights shot 42.4 percent from the field and Lake Forest 36.1 percent in the game's first 20 minutes.
Both teams were more efficient in the second half. Lake Forest tied the score at 39 in the first minute on a three-pointer by senior forward Brian Madson and shot 55.2 percent from the floor, 7-for-12 from three-point range, and 7-for-7 from the foul line in the half. However, the Knights gradually pulled away while connecting on 19 of 24 field goal attempts and 15 of 16 foul shots in a 56-point period.
The loss leaves Lake Forest with a 9-11 overall record and 8-8 mark in Midwest Conference play. It also officially eliminated the Foresters from MWC Tournament contention. St. Norbert is now 20-1 overall and 16-0 in the league.
Lake Forest will host Grinnell College Saturday afternoon at 3:00. It will be the final career home game for Madson, Staggers, and fellow senior Kenté Mixon.
