JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – In a game that featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes, the Illinois College women's basketball team outlasted Lake Forest College on Friday night, 77-75. The victory was capped by
Sydney Lett's game-winner, a floater in the paint with 2.9 seconds left, as the Lady Blues knocked off one of the Midwest Conference's strongest programs. IC improved to 7-11 (3-8 MWC) with the win while the Foresters dropped to 9-9 (8-3 MWC).
A career-high of 17 from
Megan Price and another 17 from
Brielle Greenleaf paced IC's offense, while
Grace Yaunches added 14 and
Carly Cameron 11.
IC and the Foresters traded leads in a fast-paced outset of the contest, but neither was able to separate by more than one possession until Hannah Hiland hit a layup with 3:37 on the clock in the opening frame. The basket pushed Lake Forest's advantage to 19-14 in the first quarter and the team remained in the driver's seat until the final minutes of the half.
Trailing by as many as 11 points, 39-28, the Lady Blues cut into their deficit with the help of a 10-0 run. Price rattled in a 3-pointer to kick start the stretch, and the score sat knotted at 41-41 with 2:06 to go before halftime. A lay-in by Cameron provided IC with a 43-41 lead -- its first advantage since the 5:29 mark of the first frame -- but Lake Forest entered the locker room with a slim 44-43 edge.
In similar fashion to the first half, the second was just as contentious. With 1:17 remaining, the scoreboard read: Illinois College 75, Lake Forest 75. A solid defensive possession from the Lady Blues in the final minute gave IC the possession and Head Coach Jen McCormick used a timeout to set the final play. As the seconds ticked down, Lett went one-on-one off the dribble and broke the stalemate with her game-winner.
Following the bucket, Lake Forest was left with 2.9 seconds and their final attempt fell short thanks to a strong contest from Lett on Jaianna Brooks' attempted game-winner.
The home stand continues tomorrow for Illinois College with the Lady Blues taking on Beloit College at 1 p.m.
