Sophomore guard Kelsey Burton was one of four Foresters to score in doubles figures but the Lake Forest College women's basketball team was defeated 85-63 by the University of Chicago, the seventh-ranked team in the nation, in Thursday night's season opener.
Burton and senior guard Tiffany Stiewe finished with 10 points apiece while freshman guard May De Luca scored 11 in her collegiate debut and sophomore guard Jaianna Brooks led the home team with 13. Brooks added a team-high four rebounds and four steals and senior forward Hannah Hiland led Lake Forest with nine rebounds.
The Foresters made just one-third of their field goal attempts in the contest while Chicago shot 46.2 percent from the floor. The Maroons also outscored their hosts 18-6 on three-pointers and 19-17 from the foul line. Chicago had a 49-40 edge on the boards and both teams committed 23 turnovers.
Lake Forest scored the first four points of the night and led by as many as seven at 15-8 in the opening period. Chicago, however, closed out the quarter on a 9-0 run and added a three-pointer to begin the second. The Foresters cut the lead to two at 24-22 with 5:55 to play in the half but missed all four of their shots to tie the score in the next two minutes. The Maroons scored the next 13 points and pulled out to a 41-24 halftime lead.
The margin grew to as many as 28 points late in the third quarter and to 31 early in the fourth. Stiewe excited the home crowd with four baskets during a 12-2 run in the final three minutes that trimmed the final deficit to 22.
The Foresters will wait eight days before competing in the Fidelity Bank & Trust Tipoff Classic at Loras College next weekend. Lake Forest will take on Edgewood College Friday at 4:00 p.m. and the hosts at the same time on Saturday.