The Forester men's basketball team was defeated 90-82 by visiting Grinnell College on Saturday in the Midwest Conference opener for both teams.
Lake Forest led by as many as 11 points early on but trailed by nine at halftime. Forester senior wing Johnny Roeser already had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the game's first 20 minutes.
A three-point play by senior forward Frank Siegien trimmed the margin to three points early in the second half. Grinnell quickly regained a double-digit lead but the Foresters pulled back to within four just as fast. The Pioneers were able to keep the home team from getting too close the rest of the way. A free throw by Lake Forest freshman guard Elijah Bull with two-and-a-half minutes to play made it a five-point game but the Foresters got no closer.
Roeser finished with a game-high 25 points and 18 rebounds while shooting 10-for-14 from the field. Siegien was next on the team with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and sophomore forward Michael Michaud made all six of his field goal attempts to double his previous career-high with 12 points. Sophomore guard Alex Knight also reached double figures with 10 points and junior guard Zach Foster chipped in with a career-high seven assists.
Lake Forest shot 47.1 percent from the field while the Pioneers were at 46.5 percent. The visitors had an 11-4 advantage in three-pointers while the Foresters out-rebounded them 46-30. The home team committed 25 turnovers while forcing just 10.
The loss dropped the Foresters' overall record to 1-3 while Grinnell improved to 2-3.
Lake Forest will play a non-conference game against Wheaton College at home on Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.