Behind a career-high 23 points from sophomore guard Jaianna Brooks, Lake Forest rolled to a 75-46 victory Tuesday evening at Lawrence University.
Brooks connected on 10 of 14 shots from the field and the Foresters shot 54.2 percent for the game, their highest field goal percentage in more than five years. They also limited the Vikings to just 27.1 percent shooting and out-rebounded them 37-25.
Junior guard Zaria Sydnor and sophomore guard Kelsey Burton joined Brooks in double figures with 13 points apiece and Burton led the visitors with eight rebounds and six assists.
At the defensive end of the court Lake Forest's Molly Schoenlein matched her season-high with four blocked shots and became just the second player in program history to surpass 100 blocks in er career. She is now just two shy of the team record of 101 set by Carolyn Schuetz in 1984.
A jumper by Brooks with less than three minutes remaining in the opening period broke an 8-8 tie and gave the visitors the lead for good. They led 16-11 at the end of the quarter and were ahead by as many as 16 points late in the second. A three-pointer by Lawrence in the final seconds of the half sent the teams to the locker room with Lake Forest leading 33-20.
The Vikings closed to within 10 points early in the third quarter but got no closer. The margin grew to 22 points several times in the period and was there again at 56-34 when it ended. Lake Forest continued to pull away and led by as many as 31 in the fourth.
The victory evened the Foresters' overall record at 11-11 and improved their Midwest Conference mark to 10-5. They entered the contest tied with Knox College for third place in the conference standings and leading St. Norbert College by just a game but received some help as the Prairie Fire and Green Knights were both defeated Tuesday night.
Lake Forest will host Illinois College on Saturday and seniors Hannah Hiland, Hannah O'Day, and Tiffany Stiewe will be honored before the 1:00 p.m. tip-off.