Lake Forest College Women's Basketball News & Notes    1999-2000 Season Preview: "Foresters Have Their Sights Set High"      After winning 20 games for the second consecutive year, breaking a school record for winning percentage with a record of 20-3 last season, and finishing as the sixth-ranked team in the Central region (according to Columbus Multimedia), what can the 1999-2000 Foresters do for an encore? How about winning the Midwest Conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth? After being upset at home in the 1999 conference tournament semifinals, the Foresters are hungrier than ever to reestablish themselves at the top of the MWC, where they have compiled a 37-6 record over the past three seasons. Head Coach Jackie Slaats, who has guided Lake Forest to over 200 wins, explains, "We have a very competitive conference and our final four tournament is always exciting. Our goal this year will be not only the top seed and the right to host the conference tournament, but to win the MWC Championship and advance to the NCAA tournament."      This year's Foresters should have plenty of firepower to do just that. They graduated just three players, albeit two starters, from last year's squad which averaged 73 points per game and owned a 15.8 points per game scoring advantage (34th in the nation). The Foresters also were the ninth best team in the nation for three-point shooting accuracy at 37.1%. "Our offensive numbers last year were primarily based on our defensive pressure," Slaats added. "We were able to score points in bunches because of our ability to push the ball up the court and press." The Foresters forced 24.6 turnovers per game last season.      Junior sharpshooter Alison Grubbs (Cullom, IL/Tri Point High School) leads the talented cast of returnees. Grubbs, a first-team All-MWC pick and All-American each of her first two seasons, averaged a league-high 18.3 points per game and needs just 253 points to reach 1,000 for her career. Last season, she scored 20 or more points 11 times, including outbursts of 27, 29, and 30 points. She scored in double figures in every game but one and made at least one three-pointer in all but two games. She also contributed 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game last season. Grubbs became the first Lake Forest women's basketball player to be named a finalist (five in each region and 40 nation-wide) for the Kodak All-America team. She was also a two-time Division III Basketball Online National Team of the Week member and a four-time MWC Player of the Week. "Alison is a joy to coach," Slaats explained. "She's regarded as a pure scorer, but she brings so much more to the floor. Simply put, she has the best work ethic I've seen in my 13 years of coaching."      But this team will be far from one-dimensional. Depth and versatility have always been staples of Forester teams in the Slaats era and this year's edition of the Foresters will be no different. A pair of seniors - Melissa Schneider (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey H.S.) and Addi Murphy (Chillicothe, IL/Illinois Valley Central H.S.) - give the Foresters not only additional scoring threats, but are the core of a class that has compiled a three-year mark of 57-12 (83% winning percentage). The duo joined Grubbs on last year's All-Conference first team. The three Lake Forest first team selections were more than any other conference school. Schneider, one of the most athletic and solid all-around performers in the league, averaged 12.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game last season, including a 40-point, 7-steal two-game weekend last January. Murphy led the team with 8.2 rebounds per game and added 9.8 points per contest, all while battling a mid-season broken wrist. "Mel and Addi know our system and they know how to win," Coach Slaats added. "They're not only athletic and highly skilled, but they play hard and the team's success is their top priority."      After a year of significant playing time the coaching staff is expecting an even bigger impact from post players Kim Magee (Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Oswego H.S.), a junior, and sophomore Katie Kerrigan (Libertyville, IL/Libertyville H.S.). Magee shot nearly 50% and averaged 5.1 points per game last season. Kerrigan, the team's Most Improved Player, saw her playing time steadily increase throughout the year and finished the season with a 5.6 ppg average while leading the team in rebounding five times. The Foresters will also look for increased productivity from junior Karla Gribble (Mineral Point, WI/Mineral Point H.S.), the team's fourth leading scorer amongst returnees at 5.7 ppg.      Returning letter winners Jenni Klusman (New Berlin, WI/New Berlin West H.S.), Bridget Berg (Naperville, IL/Benet Academy), Nikki Thompson (Gurnee, IL/Warren Township H.S.), and Lindsay Bourne (Oxford, OH/Talawanda H.S.), along with freshman Katie McCants (Menasha, WI/Menasha H.S.) will also add depth to the squad. Bourne will serve as a co-captain on this year's team.      "I'm excited about the core of returnees on this team," expounded Coach Slaats. "We were obviously disappointed last year, but the season ending upset will hopefully make us an even tougher team this year."