Junior guard Kelsey Burton led Lake Forest with 20 points, including the 1,000th of her career, but the Foresters dropped an 82-68 decision to visiting Ripon College Wednesday night.
Burton entered the game with 981 points and reached the milestone on a layup with 3:16 remaining in the contest. She is the eighth player in program history to score at least 1,000 points but just the third to accomplish the feat as a junior.
After missing the last four games due to injury, Forester sophomore forward Maggie Kersting came off the bench and established new career highs with 17 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Zaria Sydnor led the home team with four assists.
Lake Forest shot just 32.2 percent from the floor while the Red Hawks connected on 49.0 percent of their field goal attempts. The Foresters were also out-rebounded 47-23 but committed just 13 turnovers while forcing 20.
The first quarter was close throughout and a basket by Kersting in the final 10 seconds gave the home team a 17-16 lead. Ripon, however, scored the first six points of the second and led the rest of the way. The margin grew to a many as 11 in the period but a three-pointer by Burton made it a six-point game (38-32) at the half.
Ripon's advantage was at least seven but no more than 11 during the entire third quarter. Leading 57-47 with 10 minutes to play, the Red Hawks increased their lead to 13 early in the fourth quarter. The Foresters trimmed the deficit to six three times in the period, the last with four minutes remaining, but got no closer. After Burton's milestone basket made the score 70-63, Ripon responded with eighth straight points to put the game out of reach.
The loss dropped the Foresters' overall record on the season to 9-10 and Midwest Conference mark to 6-6. Ripon improved to 15-5 overall and remained tied atop the MWC standings at 11-2 in the league.
Lake Forest will play at Beloit Saturday afternoon at 3:00.
