The Lake Forest College men's basketball team began the 2023-24 season with a 114-102 victory over Lakeland University at home Wednesday night.
The Foresters' scoring output matched the sixth-highest mark in program history and was the most Lake Forest ever scored in a season opener, surpassing the team's total in a 113-112 loss at Lakeland in 2012.
Sophomore guard
Alex Forowycz led all players in the contest with a career-high 27 points. He shot 11-for-14 from the field and made five of his seven attempts from three-point range.
Junior guard
Alex Knight was next on the squad with 25 points while freshman wing
Coltrane Marchand finished with 20 in his collegiate debut. Knight also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a career-high 10 assists in the contest. Coltrane knocked down four three-pointers and shot 8-for-15 from the field.
While Knight was posting his second career double-double, Lake Forest junior forward
Michael Michaud earned his first with 15 points and a career-high 17 boards. He did not miss a shot on the night, connecting on seven field goals and a free throw.
Junior guard
Elijah Bull and sophomore guards
Alex Brown and
Luke Arington chipped in with nine points apiece and Bull dished out nine assists.
The Foresters connected on 13 of 28 shots from beyond the arc and shot 53.8 percent from the field overall. The Muskies were only slightly less efficient, making 52.9 percent of their field goal attempts, including 10 of 24 from three-point range. Lake Forest had a 39-35 edge in rebounds and were responsible for just eight of the game's 21 turnovers.
The home team took the lead for good on a layup by Michaud that broke a 38-38 tie with five minutes remaining in the first half. Michaud also made the final basket of the period, giving the Foresters a 56-47 halftime advantage.
Forowicz connected three times from long range during a 17-5 run that gave Lake Forest a 79-58 lead with 13 minutes to play. The margin grew to 23 points on multiple occasions before shrinking to 14 with three-and-a-half minutes left. The Foresters made enough free throws down the stretch to maintain a comfortable lead and finish off the high-scoring victory.
Lake Forest will play at Benedictine University Saturday afternoon at 4:00.