LAKE FOREST, IL. – The way a team responds in the face of adversity speaks volumes. Often times, it’s far easier to throw in the towel and admit defeat when things start to go south. But it’s in those moments of injury, defeat, and devastation that a team’s true identity is drawn out into the spotlight. Despite several members of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team stepping up their play in the absence of outspoken leader and point guard junior Halle Douglass, Lake Forest fell to Stevenson at home, 50-37.

Back in late November, coach Kyle Wilhelm’s team handed the Patriots their first conference loss on the year. Unfortunately, the Scouts were unable to repeat history Tuesday night. This time around, having a physical advantage in the height column seemed to play a minor role in the outcome of the game, as the visitors were able to keep things rather close given their lack of size. The first half of play was about as competitive as it gets, the two teams going stride-for-stride. Heading into the break, Stevenson had the upper hand with a 22-20 lead over the home team.

After the break, the Patriots’ largely perimeter-based offense came out firing on all cylinders, connecting on three straight 3-point attempts. From then on, the Scouts struggled to slow down the visiting team’s fast-paced tempo on the offensive end, giving up a 13-1 run with 3:40 left in the third. At that moment in the game, the Patriots controlled the scoreboard, 35-21. A plethora of scoring exchanges ensued as the quarter closed with Stevenson on top by a score of 39-28.

Down the stretch, Wilhelm’s team rallied late in an attempt to close the deficit. Behind a pair of threes by sophomore Molly Fisher, the Scouts embarked on an 8-3 run to cut the lead to 42-36. But just as Scouts’ fan started to smell a comeback, the Patriots went on a final run of their own to put the final nail in the coffin, scoring eight of the next nine points.

On the night, the trio composed of seniors Ellie Pearson, Grace Tirzmalis, and sophomore Molly Fisher carried much of the load, providing 32 of the team’s total 37 points. Additionally, Pearson reeled in a double-double for herself, adding 12 rebounds.

With the loss, Lake Forest sits at 16-6, 6-3 while Stevenson improves to 15-7, 5-4 following their fifth straight win. Dropping back-to-back games after an impressive nine-game tear, the Scouts look to find their rhythm once again Saturday afternoon as they take on Grant at home.