Trailing by 20 with just 12 minutes remaining in the game, the Lake Forest College women's basketball team came back to post a 59-57 victory over visiting Monmouth College Tuesday night.
A Fighting Scot basket with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter gave the visitors a 50-30 lead but seven straight points by the Foresters, including five in the final 45 seconds, made it a 50-37 game with a quarter to play.
After a basket by junior guard
Rebecca Christodoulou a minute into the fourth trimmed the margin to 11, Monmouth connected on consecutive possessions to extend its lead back to 15. Christodoulou then made three more buckets and assisted on another as the Foresters rattled off 11 straight points to make the score 54-50 with 4:46 to play. A Monmouth free throw with 3:56 left made it a five-point game but that difference disappeared when freshman center
Brooke Gallis made a layup and Christodoulou knocked down a game-tying three-pointer from the left corner with two minutes remaining.
Free throws were crucial down the stretch. The visitors missed two on their next possession while Forester junior
Taylor Major made both of hers with 1:18 on the clock. Two more foul shots from freshman guard
Careah Baitlon with 23 ticks left gave Lake Forest a four-point lead, which was cut in half at the buzzer.
The Forester defense forced 10 turnovers during the final 12 minutes and 23 in the contest. The home team shot 62.5 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and a season-high 46.9 percent on the night. Lake Forest limited Monmouth to 34.5 percent shooting and out-rebounded the Fighting Scots 38-33 on the night.
Christodoulou's 19 points were the most by a Forester in a game so far this year and she added seven rebounds and three steals. Gallis finished with a season-high 10 points and Major added eight to go with a game-high 10 rebounds. Senior guard
Melissa Gomez led all players in the contest with four steals.
Lake Forest is now 1-6 overall and 1-1 in Midwest Conference play this season. Monmouth fell to 1-6 overall after dropping its 2023-24 league opener.
The Foresters will continue conference play against Cornell College at home on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
