Foresters Defeat Carroll, Fall at St. Norbert in MWC Championship Tourney
Head coach Jackie Slaats' coaching career ends after 22 seasons

Jackie Slaats

Beth Lucas

Claire Schmidt

Lisa Nassin

Nicole Baich

Senior guard Beth Lucas (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) led four Lake Forest players in double figures with 14 points against Carroll. She shot 6-for-11 from the field and added six rebounds and five steals. Sophomore forward Claire Schmidt (Kankakee, Ill./Bishop McNamara) and sophomore center Lisa Nassin (Evergreen Park, Ill./Evergreen Park) were next on the squad with 13 points apiece. Schmidt scored eight points in the overtime period and added nine rebounds in the contest, narrowly missing her first career double-double. Nassin shot 5-for-7 from the floor. Senior center Nicole Baich (Westchester, Ill./Nazareth Academy) scored 12 points and pulled down as many boards for her fifth double-double of the season and 15th of her career. Sophomore guard Kate Grunauer (Chicago, Ill./Marist) led the team with five assists.

The Foresters shot 40.6 percent from the field, 1-for-8 from three-point range, and 16-for-25 (64%) from the free throw line in the contest. The Lady Pioneers made just 35.5 percent of their field goal attempts, including four of 10 from beyond the arc, and knocked down 16 of 19 (84.2%) foul shots. Lake Forest out-rebounded Carroll 47-38 and both teams committed 27 turnovers. The Foresters recorded 19 steals in the game and reached 369 for the season, five more than last year's school record total.

Carroll scored the game’s first four points before a 12-2 run gave the Foresters a 12-6 lead midway through the first half. Nine consecutive Lady Pioneer points later in the period put Carroll ahead 18-14 but Lake Forest closed the half with a 10-0 run and led 24-18 at intermission.

Two quick Forester baskets to open the second half increased the lead to 10 but Carroll outscored Lake Forest 20-4 over the next eight minutes and led 38-32 with 11 minutes remaining in the half. The Foresters regained the lead with eight straight points and neither team led by more than four during the rest of the period. The teams traded baskets in the final 30 seconds and a pair of Carroll free throws with seven seconds left tied the game at 52 at the end of regulation.

Lake Forest pulled ahead for good on a basket by Schmidt midway through the five-minute overtime. She also made two free throws with 1:12 left, blocked a shot and grabbed the rebound on defense, and scored on a put-back with 51 seconds to play to extend the lead to five. The Lady Pioneers closed to within three points with less than 10 seconds on the clock but a Baich layup at the buzzer clinched the victory.

With 11 points in just nine minutes of play, Nassin was the only Forester to reach double figures in the championship game against St. Norbert. Senior guards Eileen Walsh (Hickory Hills, Ill./Amos Alonzo Stagg) and Jenna Werdell (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) and junior forward Ashley Cretacci (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) each added eight points and Baich finished with six points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Lake Forest shot 38 percent from the floor while allowing the Green Knights to make half of their field goal attempts. The Foresters were also 4-for-13 (30.8%) from three-point range and 22-for-30 (73.3%) from the foul line. St. Norbert shot 3-for-10 from beyond the arc and 30-for-38 (78.9%) from the line. Lake Forest out-rebounded the home team 36-33 but committed 23 turnovers while forcing just 14.

The Foresters led by as many as seven points three times early in the contest. St. Norbert tied the game with 7:53 to play in the first half and took the lead for good on a three-pointer with 7:26 on the clock. The home team increased the margin to 10 late in the period and was ahead 41-33 at halftime.

A 14-4 St. Norbert run early in the second half extended the lead to 16 points and a 12-2 run later in the period stretched it into the 20s.

It was the final game for 22nd-year head coach Jackie Slaats, who is resigning from coaching but will remain the College’s Athletic Director. She finished her illustrious career with a 386-133 overall record, a mark of 220-71 in league play, six conference championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and six MWC Coach of the Year awards.

The game was also the final collegiate contest for Baich, Lucas, Walsh, Werdell, and fellow senior Shaina Sullivan (Winfield, Ill./West Chicago). The five helped lead the squad to a 76-26 record over the last four seasons and the 2007 MWC Championship.