Freshman guard Kelsey Burton finished with a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds as the Forester women's basketball team posted a 74-70 victory at Monmouth College on Saturday.
Burton shot 8-for-16 from the field, made four of six attempts from three-point range, and knocked down eight of nine free throws. She scored nine points in the first quarter, six in the second and third, and seven in the fourth. Burton's point total was the highest by a Forester this season, surpassing the 24 she scored last Saturday at Knox. It was also her Midwest Conference-leading seventh double-double of the year.
Burton's first basket tied the game at three and the Foresters never trailed again. She connected from beyond the arc two more times in the opening period and the visitors led by six when it ended
The second quarter scoring started with four Burton free throws and an 11-2 Forester run later in the period extended the lead to a game-high 16 points. Monmouth scored six of the final seven points before halftime and went into the locker room trailing 41-30.
The margin remained in double figures until the final minute of the third quarter and Lake Forest led 56-46 with 10 minutes to play.
The Fighting Scots pulled to within two points five times in the fourth quarter before finally tying the game at 69 with 1:07 remaining. Burton earned her only assist of the evening on a go-ahead basket by sophomore forward Molly Schoenlein with 38 seconds left and, after a missed three-pointer by the home team 20 seconds later, Forester freshman guard Jaianna Brooks grabbed the rebound, was fouled, and made one of two free throws. Monmouth pulled to within two on a free throw with seven seconds to play but Brooks went 2-for-2 from the line a second later to held secure the victory.
Brooks finished the contest with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while Schoenlein came off the bench to score a dozen points and grab eight boards. Forester junior forward Hannah O'Day also reached double figures with 11 points and added nine rebounds and four steals.
Both teams shot approximately 40 percent from the field. Lake Forest made six of 11 three-pointers and outscored the Scots 20-8 from the foul line. The visitors also out-rebounded the home team 48-35 but committed 17 of the game's 30 turnovers.
Lake Forest is now 8-9 overall this season and in fourth place in the MWC with a league record of 6-4. Monmouth fell to 5-11 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
The Foresters will travel south again on Wednesday in hopes of avenging an early-season loss to Illinois College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.