The Lake Forest College women's basketball team was defeated 64-49 at Carroll University on Saturday. Forester sophomore forward Brittany Avonts scored a career-high 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Avonts shot 7-for-9 from the field and added three blocked shots in the contest. Senior guard Danielle Canulli was next on the team with 15 points while junior forward K.C. Stralka chipped in with 14. Stralka also pulled down six rebounds, dished out four assists, and added a pair of blocked shots. Senior guard Jenna Rice led the team with five assists.
Lake Forest shot 39.5 percent from the field, slightly better than Carroll's 38.7 percent. The Foresters were out-rebounded 38-32 on the afternoon and committed 24 turnovers to the Pioneers' 15.
After a 12-2 run by Carroll turned the Foresters' four-point lead into a six-point deficit early in the contest, Lake Forest rattled off 10 straight points to regain the advantage. The visitors extended their lead to as many as eight points in the opening period and 31-25 at halftime.
A layup by Avonts gave Lake Forest a 34-27 edge three minutes into the second half but the Pioneers scored the game's next seven points to tie the score. The home team took the lead for good with 12:33 remaining and outscored the Foresters 14-2 over the last six-and-a-half minutes to second the victory.
The loss eliminated Lake Forest from Midwest Conference Tournament contention. The Foresters finished the season with a 12-11 overall record and an 11-7 mark in league play. Carroll is now 16-7 overall and 13-5 in conference games.
In addition to Canulli and Rice, the Foresters will also lose fellow seniors Abby Wiedman and Rose Coll to graduation in May.