The Forester women's basketball team posted a convincing 83-67 victory at Monmouth College on Saturday to improve to 10-6 in Midwest Conference play. Junior point guard Sam Schuring led Lake Forest with a career-high-tying 28 points.
Schuring shot 12-for-18 from the field, pulled down five rebounds, dished out three assists, and matched another career-high with five steals.
Lake Forest junior forward Liz Radtke also matched her career-high with 19 points. She made all six of her field goal attempts and seven of nine free throws while also pulling down nine rebounds and blocking a pair of shots. Junior guard Alex Messacar was also perfect from the field in an 11-point performance. She shot 5-for-5, including a three-pointer. Sophomore guard/forward Gina Ambrose reached double figures as well with 10 points.
The Foresters' .585 field goal percentage on the day was easily a season-high and the visitors also made three of eight three-pointers and 18 of 27 free throws. Monmouth shot just 36.8 percent from the field but 8-for-15 from beyond the arc. The home team made 18 of 23 foul shots and out-rebounded Lake Forest 35-32. The Foresters, however, committed just 12 turnovers to the Fighting Scots' 20.
Lake Forest scored the game's first six points and jumped out to an 18-7 lead. An 11-0 Foresters run extended the margin to 16 points and the difference grew to as many as 20 late in the first half. The Fighting Scots, however, closed out the period on a 10-0 run to make the score 39-29 at halftime.
The Foresters outscored the home team 16-7 during the first five minutes of the second half. Monmouth got no closer than 15 points until the game's final five minutes. The scored was 72-60 with 3:13 to play but a pair of free throws by Radtke started a 9-1 Lake Forest run that clinched the victory.
The Foresters are now 11-10 overall and their 10-6 record in MWC play leaves them alone in third place in the league standings. Monmouth is 12-9 overall and is still in second place in the conference with a league mark of11-5.
Lake Forest will host Knox College Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. It will be the final career home game for Forester seniors Natasha Poulopoulos and Tatiana Moore.