Senior forward
Rylie Crecelius earned her first career double-double, and guard
Emma Hart added a career-best 15 points off the bench as the Lake Forest women's basketball team beat North Park University 62-55 on Wednesday night at the Sports and Recreation Center.
Crecelius scored 11 points – her fourth consecutive game scoring in double figures – to go with a career-high 12 rebounds. Fellow senior
Jamie Springstead added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Foresters (2-5). Both players were key to the Lake Forest winning the rebounding battle 46-28; the Foresters also outscored North Park 16-4 on second-chance points.
The sophomore Hart provided an offensive spark off the bench for Lake Forest with her long-range shooting and ball movement. Hart set a new career high with 15 points, including three made three-pointers, while stuffing the stat sheet with six rebounds and five assists.
The Foresters shot 38.2 percent from the field for the game, made 6-of-21 three-pointers, and were 14-of-21 from the free-throw line. The Lake Forest defense held North Park to just 55 points, a season low for Forester opponents this season.
Hart got started early with eight points in the first quarter, knocking down a pair of three-pointers in her first three minutes on the court.
Mia DeGrasse went on a personal 6-0 run in the final 3:15 of the first half to give the Foresters a lead. The junior from Chicago, Ill., turned a three-point deficit into a three-point advantage by hitting a layup, making a free throw, and then hitting a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the first half to give Lake Forest the lead going into intermission. DeGrasse finished with 10 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
Leading by two heading into the fourth quarter, Lake Forest mounted an 8-3 run to start the fourth quarter, all eight points coming from Springstead to push the Foresters lead to 51-44. The senior guard hit a pair of three-pointers, then finished a layup off a nice assist from Hart, prompting a North Park timeout.
The Foresters will be back in action this weekend for their first contest in Midwest Conference play. Lake Forest will travel to Lawrence University on Saturday for its conference opener against the Vikings. Tipoff will be at 3 p.m.
