Senior guard Michelle Ricolcol scored seven of her team-high 18 points in the extra period as the Lake Forest College women's basketball team hosted and defeated Milwaukee School of Engineering 73-68 in overtime on Saturday.
Ricolcol accounted for the home team's first six points of the five-minute overtime period. The Foresters trailed 66-63 before her layup with 1:46 to play and, after getting a stop on defense, Lake Forest took a 67-66 lead on a basket by freshman guard Bridget Bilek with 1:13 left. After the Raiders regained the advantage on a pair of free throws with 54.9 seconds remaining, the Foresters scored the game's final six points from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Kelsey Schmitt made one of two to tie the game with 37.4 on the clock, senior forward K.C. Stralka was fouled after grabbing a defensive rebound and knocked down a pair with 16.8 seconds to play, and Ricolcol scored the final point of the contest with 9.9 left.
M.S.O.E. was 0-for-3 from the field in the final minute and Lake Forest, which out-rebounded the visitors 50-39 on the afternoon, did not allow any second chance opportunities down the stretch.
The largest lead of the contest was a nine-point advantage for the Foresters in the second quarter. The home team trailed 9-8 after the opening period but began the second with a 16-6 run. The Raiders came back late in the second and trailed by just four (29-25) at halftime.
The visitors scored the first four points of the third but a three-pointer by Ricolcol, a basket by Bilek, and a couple of free throws by Stralka put Lake Forest back up by seven. The margin was seven again before M.S.O.E. closed out the period on a 10-2 run and led 47-46 after three quarters. An eight-point run early in the fourth gave the home team a 54-49 lead but the Raiders scored the next six points to regain the advantage. A traditional three-point play by Ricolcol gave the Foresters a 58-57 lead with 42.1 seconds on the clock and the home team had a chance to clinch the victory in regulation but missed three of four free throws in the final 30 seconds.
In addition to Ricolcol, three other Foresters scored in double figures. Schmitt connected three times from three-point range and had 14 points. Stralka and junior forward Brittany Avonts added 13 points apiece and combined for 21 rebounds. Avonts had a dozen boards for her second career double-double.
Lake Forest's statistical advantages came in the rebounding and free throw categories. The Foresters connected on 19 of 31 foul shots while the Raiders were just 12-for-17 from the line. M.S.O.E. had a slightly higher field goal percentage (39.4% to 37.5%) and committed four fewer turnovers (19 to 15).
The Foresters are now 2-1 this season while M.S.O.E. fell to 0-4.
Lake Forest will resume Midwest Conference play at Carroll University on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
