The Lake Forest College men's basketball team posted a 71-61 overtime victory over Beloit College at home Tuesday night. Forester senior guard Jeff Beck scored a game-high 22 points and added six rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the contest.
With his team trailing 61-58 in the extra period, Beck tied the score on a traditional three-point play and then recorded two rebounds, three assists, and three steals during the Foresters' 13-0 run to close out the game.
Lake Forest sophomore forward Brian Madson added 14 points and freshman guard Austin Terry 10. Madson also had seven rebounds and Terry shot 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the closing second of regulation to keep Beloit from taking the lead.
Senior forward Chris Madson scored nine points and led the Foresters with 11 rebounds, reaching double figures in boards for the fourth time in the last five games. He has 62 rebounds during that span.
Beloit had a slight 42 percent to 39 percent edge in shooting percentage and the teams combined to make just 11 of 40 three-pointers. The Foresters had the advantage at the free throw line, where they connected on 17 of 21 attempts while the Buccaneers shot 8-for-11. Lake Forest was out-rebounded 37-36 but committe just a dozen turnovers to the visitors' 19.
A 21-6 run by the home team turned a four-point deficit into a 30-19 lead late in the first half. Beloit scored the final two points of the period to trim the margin to nine.
A traditional three-point play by freshman Mason Zuniga to open the second gave the Foresters a 12-point lead, their largest of the night. An 11-2 Buccaneer run made it a three-point game and the visitors eventually tied the score at 39 with 10:56 to play in the second half. Lake Forest regained the lead on a basket by Beck and the home team was ahead until a Beloit three-pointer with three-tenths of a second on the clock tied the score and sent the game into overtime.
After both teams missed three-pointers, Beloit made the first basket of the 5-minute overtime period. A pair of Zuniga free throws tied the game but the visitors connected on a three-pointer on their next trip down the court. Beck's bucket and free throw knotted the score again and he recorded steals on each of the next three Beloit possessions, which each led to layups by sophomore guard Kente Mixon, Brian Madson, and Zuniga. Beck assisted on two of those scores and also set up Brian Madson's fourth three-pointer of the night with 1:05 to play that all but clinched the victory.
The Foresters are now 6-13 overall and 4-10 in Midwest Conference play this season. Beloit fell to 10-8 overall and 8-5 in the league.
Lake Forest will host Knox College at 3:00 Saturday afternoon. The game will be part of the MWC's Playing for a Cure initiative.