Sophomore guard Kelsey Burton led Lake Forest with 18 points and five assists in the team's 78-68 victory over St. Norbert College at home Wednesday evening.
Burton also shot 7-for-14 from the field, grabbed eight rebounds, and tied for the team lead with three steals. Junior forward Molly Schoenlein matched Burton's rebound and steal totals and chipped in with a pair of blocked shots. Senior forward Hannah Hiland also had two blocks to go with her 10 points and junior guard Zaria Sydnor scored 12. Senior forward Hannah O'Day finished with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the year.
With a field goal percentage of .508, the Foresters connected on more than half of their attempts for the first time since the 2016-17 season finale. They also limited the Green Knights to just 34.2 percent shooting from the field and out-rebounded their guests 45-39.
St. Norbert led by as many as six points and Lake Forest by two in the first quarter, which included six ties and ended with the teams knotted at 23. Trailing 33-31 midway through the second, the Foresters scored seven straight points and went into the locker room at halftime ahead by five again at 40-35.
After surrendering the first point of the third quarter, the home team rattled off nine in a row to take the lead up to 13. The margin never dipped below 10 and baskets by O'Day and Sydnor in the final minute made the score 64-47 in favor of the Foresters going into the fourth. Lake Forest was able to maintain that double-figure lead throughout the final period.
The victory evened the Foresters' overall record on the season at 4-4 and was the third win in as many Midwest Conference games this year. St. Norbert fell to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Lake Forest will travel to Monmouth College next Wednesday to take on one of the other two teams in the conference with perfect 3-0 records in MWC play.