LAKE FOREST, IL. – After having the Scouts’ annual Teacher Appreciation Night postponed due to the drastic weather conditions of the past week, several of Lake Forest’s most beloved teachers were honored prior to Monday’s match-up against the visiting Warren Blue Devils. The Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team rode that pregame excitement and celebration buzzing throughout the Competition Gym to the final horn, notching their seventh straight victory with a 37-30 win over Warren.

Given that Coach Kyle Wilhelm’s group effortlessly knocked off the Blue Devils with a score of 61-33 back on December 22, it was a bit of a surprise that the Scouts found themselves trailing early. Unable to find their stroke or any sort of rhythm, the home team’s offensive struggles limited them to a mere six points in the opening quarter, the scoreboard favoring the visitors 10-6. The second period showed some improvement though shots were still hard to come by. Despite an overall shaky performance on the offensive end, junior Halle Douglass provided the Scouts with enough life to get back on top. As the first half was drawing to a close, senior Grace Tirzmalis connected on a deep 3-point attempt to give the hosts a slight 17-16 edge going into the break.

As for the second half, a similar story ensued. A defensive battle was on full display and neither team seemed to be able to take the lid off the rim. Relying heavily on the contributions of the star duo of Tirzmalis and Douglass to keep them afloat, the Scouts’ lead was extended to six as the third period concluded. With the score 27-21 going into the final quarter of play, the Scouts and Blue Devils seemingly exchanged baskets until time ran out. Sure, it may not have been pretty, but when it was all said and done Wilhelm’s team got the job done.

Statistically speaking, only three Scouts were able to secure a spot in the scoring column. Douglass led the charge with 18 points and nine rebounds. Tirzmalis did her part, producing 13 points while sophomore Finola Summerville had six points herself. As a group, Lake Forest shot an underwhelming 25% (13-52) from the field and sank just 4-24 (17%) of their takes from beyond the arc.

With one final home game remaining on the year, the Scouts (23-6, 10-3) look to find their groove once again as they take on the Zion Zee Bees (18-7, 7-5) Wednesday night at 7 pm.