The Lake Forest College women's basketball team closed to within one after trailing by 17 but was ultimately defeated in its season opener 79-72 by visiting Martin Luther College on Saturday.
Forester senior guard Katie Neher led the comeback effort, scoring 24 of her game-high 26 points after halftime. She shot 10-for-20 in the contest, connected three times from beyond the arc, and added a pair of steals and a team-high five rebounds.
Senior forward Annie Lally and sophomore center Peyton Noles also reached double figures with 11 points apiece for the home team. Freshman guard Sophie Cook led Lake Forest with four assists.
The Foresters shot 47.4 percent from the field while Martin Luther was at 44.6 percent. The Knights made nine three-pointers to Lake Forest's five, out-rebounded the home team 38-34, and forced 25 turnovers while committing 21.
The visitors led 31-14 early in the second quarter but the Foresters outscored them 15-4 over the next seven minutes and trailed 35-29 at halftime. The margin was down to just four points at 57-53 after three quarters and Lake Forest closed to within a point on four separate occasions in the fourth. The Knights rattled off 10 straight points, however, and finished off the victory.
Martin Luther is now 2-1 on the year.
Lake Forest will look to even its record next Tuesday evening against Milwaukee School of Engineering. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.