Junior guard Zaria Sydnor set career-highs at both ends of the court with 18 points and seven steals in Lake Forest's 87-65 victory over visiting Beloit College on Saturday.
Sydnor was 6-for-10 from the field and 6-for-8 from the foul line while adding four rebounds and three assists on the afternoon. She was one of four players to score in double figures for the Foresters, who were led in that category by senior forward Hannah Hiland with 20. Fellow senior forward Hannah O'Day knocked down three shots from beyond the arc in a season-high 17-point performance and sophomore guard Kelsey Burton finished with 14 points and 10 boards for her 14th career double-double. Burton also dished out five assists, one shy of fellow sophomore guard Jaianna Brooks for team-high honors.
Lake Forest shot 44.4 percent from the field while limiting Beloit to just 36.7 percent. The Buccaneers knocked down 10 three-pointers to the Foresters' six but the home team outscored them 25-11 from the free throw line, missing just three times in the contest. The Foresters also had a 44-32 edge in rebounds and committed just seven turnovers while forcing 16.
Beloit led by a small margin during most of the opening period and was ahead 18-16 when it ended. After a three-pointer to start the second gave the Bucs their biggest lead of the game at five points, the Foresters pulled ahead on a 12-3 run that included a pair of three-pointers by O'Day. Lake Forest's lead reached eight later in the quarter and a pair of free throws by Sydnor with 8.9 seconds on the clock closed out the first half scoring with the home team leading 41-34.
The Buccaneers got no closer than seven points as the Foresters gradually pulled away in the second half. Their lead reached double figures for the first time on another free throw by Sydnor at the 6:25 mark of the third and the margin was 15 at 61-46 with one quarter to play. Lake Forest scored 11 of the first 13 points in the final period to put the game out of reach.
The Foresters' 87 points matched their highest offensive output of the season. The victory improved their overall record to 10-11 and Midwest Conference mark to 9-5. Beloit fell to 4-17 overall and 3-11 in the league.
Lake Forest will travel to Lawrence University for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday.