LAKE FOREST, IL. – Friday’s contest against the Waukegan Bulldogs was much bigger than just another conference game for the Lake Forest seniors. Traditionally speaking, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Program has prided itself on its talented core of underclassmen, though head coach Kyle Wilhelm’s team would not have achieved the level of success over these past few years if it weren’t for the veteran leadership and experience of the senior class–there’s no two ways about it. Prior to tip-off, the senior trio of Ainsley Allan, Ellie Pearson, and Grace Tirzmalis, as well as their families, were honored for their dedication to the program and celebrated for their incredibly memorable careers. And the festivities didn’t end there as the Scouts comfortably trotted to the finish line, sending the visiting Bulldogs home with their second loss to the royal blue and gold on the season.

After the way things turned out in their first tilt of the year, Scouts’ fan were caught off guard when Waukegan kept matters close early on. It wasn’t until sophomore Molly Fisher buried an uncontested three-point field goal from the corner with just under four minutes to go in the half to spark a 22-4 run that would carry past intermission and deep into the third. At the break, the scoreboard favored the home team as Wilhelm’s group held a 44-28 edge over the visitors.

Behind a flurry of three pointers, transition lay-ups, and careless Waukegan turnovers, it didn’t take very long before Lake Forest put the game out of reach. Back-to-back daggers from beyond the arc by senior Grace Tirzmalis and sophomore Finola Summerville further extended the lead as the quarter came to a close with the Scouts on top 66-33.

As the competition resumed, so did the Scouts’ hot shooting. Fisher kicked off the final quarter of play with yet another bomb from 3-point land before Wilhelm subbed in an entirely new platoon made up of several reserves. From then on, the home team cruised to the final horn, capturing the 70-49 conference dub.

On the night, the Scouts’ saw three players put up double-digit scoring numbers. Tirzmalis led the charge with 19 points on 8-13 shooting, connecting on 3-4 of her 3-point takes. Junior Halle Douglass notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists, while Summerville contributed 11 points. As a unit, Lake Forest sank a steady 42% of their looks from the field.

With the impressive Senior Night victory, the Scouts improve to 22-6 (9-3 in conf.) as the regular season draws to a near close. Tonight at 7pm, Lake Forest welcomes the Warren Blue Devils (8-15, 5-7) to the Competition Gym for what should be a tightly-contested showing.