Lake Forest College Sports Information
February 12, 2003
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Lake Forest Holds Off Illinois College for Fourth Straight Win
Clerkin leads the team with 18 points and 9 rebounds
  

Shannon Clerkin led the team with 18 points and 9 rebounds.
LAKE FOREST, IL - The Lake Forest College women's basketball team hosted and defeated Illinois College 64-57 Wednesday (February 12) evening, extending the team's winning streak to four games. The victory raises the Foresters' overall record to 18-2 and lifts their Midwest Conference mark to 11-2. The Lady Blues fell to 9-11 overall and 7-7 in the league.

Sophomore forward Shannon Clerkin (Barneveld, WI/Barneveld) scored a game-high 18 points and led Lake Forest with nine rebounds. She is averaging 17 points and 10 boards over the team's last five games. She also added a pair of blocked shots on Wednesday.

Sophomore guard Kristy Freeman (Palatine, IL/Palatine) scored 11 points and made at least one three-point field goal for the 14th consecutive game. Another streak continued on Wednesday when Katie McCants (Menasha, WI/Menasha) scored her 10th and final point of the game. The senior forward has scored in double figures in all but two games this year, including each of the last 17.

The Foresters' 41.4% (24-of-58) field goal percentage was below their 43.8% season average entering the game and the team made just two of 13 three-point attempts. However, Lake Forest held Illinois College to 37.5% (21-of-56) shooting and out-rebounded the Lady Blues 40-32.

Lake Forest led 15-13 nine minutes into the game before using a 13-1 run to extend the margin to 14 points. IC, however, rattled off 14 straight points to tie the score with just over a minute remaining in the period. After the teams exchanged baskets, the halftime buzzer sounded with the game tied at 30.

The visitors took the lead (35-32) for the first and only time in the game on a three-pointer with 16:47 to play. Freeman responded with her only three-point field goal of the game to tie the score and begin a 20-5 Forester run that put the home team ahead by a dozen (52-40) with six-and-a-half minutes remaining. The Lady Blues closed the gap to four points (56-52) with just over three minutes left but would get no closer as Clerkin and Freeman combined to shoot 8-for-8 from the free throw line down the stretch.

Lake Forest will travel to Grinnell College (9-10, 4-10 MWC) on Saturday (February 15) for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off. The Foresters will play at Knox College (5-14, 2-11) next Tuesday (February 18) and will close out the regular season at home next Saturday (February 22) against Monmouth College (7-13, 5-8).

Box Score