The Forester women's basketball team was defeated 64-58 in overtime by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday in the Pointer Tip-Off Classic at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Lake Forest senior point guard Sam Schuring was named to the event's all-tournament team.
It was Schuring's first game action since the end of the 2011-12 season. She missed all of 2012-13 due to injury. Schuring tied for team-high honors with a dozen points on Saturday and added seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the contest. She finished the weekend with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists, and eight steals in the two games combined.
Forester junior guard Danielle Canulli matched Schuring with 12 points and she shot 5-for-8 from the field in the game. Sophomore guard Lexi Leneau led Lake Forest with nine rebounds.
The Foresters shot 38.7 percent from the floor and held Oshkosh to just 32.8 percent. The teams combined to make only seven of 40 attempts from three-point range and the Titan connected on 21 of 31 foul shots while Lake Forest shot 8-for-11 from the line. The Foresters had a 50-37 edge in rebounds but committed 17 of the game's 29 turnovers.
Lake Forest scored the game's first six points and were ahead 8-2 before a 15-2 run by the Titans gave them a seven-point lead. Oshkosh also closed out the first period on a 12-4 run and led 33-20 at halftime.
The Foresters scored the first eight points of the second half and eventually tied the score at 43 on a layup by sophomore forward K.C. Stralka with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation. Lake Forest went ahead on a layup by freshman forward Brittany Avonts and then took a 48-45 lead on a three-pointer by junior guard Abby Wiedman with 3:05 left. Oshkosh then scored eight straight points but a layup by Schuring with 17 seconds to play, a pair of free throws by Canulli with 10 seconds on the clock, and two more free throws by Wiedman with five ticks left tied the score at 54 and forced overtime.
The Titans scored the first four points in the 5-minute extra period, held the Foresters scoreless until Schuring scored with 2:11 left, and then made six of eight free throws in the final 66 seconds to prevent another Lake Forest comeback.
The Foresters fell to 0-2 on the season while Oshkosh raised its record to 2-0.
Lake Forest will continue non-conference play at North Central College Wednesday night at 7:00.
