From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago women's basketball team got its season off to a good start with a 56-46 home victory against Lake Forest College on Saturday.
The Maroons (1-0 record) now lead the all-time series against the Foresters (0-1) by an 18-11 margin.
Despite missing the opening five shots of the game, UChicago went ahead 6-2 in the first quarter as the Foresters turned the ball over five times in three minutes. The Maroons kept their defensive pressure philosophy intact from last season and aggressively went after the ball handlers on the perimeter all game. The home side forced 21 turnovers, but also committed 23 itself with errant passes on cutters and traveling calls.
The Maroons continually worked the ball around until they got the shot they wanted. A number of close shots rimmed out in the first half, which helped keep the game close. Lake Forest netted baskets at the end of both the first and second quarters to go into halftime with a 28-26 lead.
Undeterred, UChicago continued to lean on its defense and kept Lake Forest in check. The visitors shot 18.8 percent from the field in the second half. Junior forward Britta Nordstrom used pivots and drop steps to get good looks in the paint and they began to fall after a rough start to the game. She also drew plenty of fouls, heading to the free throw line for 13 attempts. A layup and foul allowed Nordstrom to complete a three-point play and UChicago closed out the third quarter with a 39-36 lead.
With the score knotted at 41, Nordstrom made a layup and sophomore guard Madison Dunbar canned a three-pointer to go up 46-41. Dunbar then sunk a dagger three with 1:04 left in the game to put the game out of reach at 53-46. The Maroons ended the game on a 15-5 run.
The home team held sway on the boards with a 48-36 rebounding edge. UChicago's aggression in the paint was borne out by a 20-8 lead in free throw attempts. Nordstrom put up a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Caitlin Moore provided an offensive spark as well with 12 points. Dunbar scored eight off the bench.
UChicago Team Stats & Leaders
Field-goal Percentage – 35.7 percent (20-56)
Three-point Percentage – 25.0 percent (6-24)
Free-throw Percentage – 50.0 percent (10-20)
Britta Nordstrom (Forward, Jr.) – 14 points, 10 rebounds
Caitlin Moore (Guard, Sr.) – 12 points, 3 rebounds