Hot-shooting Foresters down Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lake Forest College men’s basketball team went on a 3-point shooting spree and downed Lawrence University 78-60 in a Midwest Conference game on Tuesday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Lake Forest went 15-for-24 (62.5 percent) from beyond the arc, and Danny Nikitas scored 24 of his game-high 27 points via the 3-pointer. Nikitas, the younger brother of Lawrence star Jamie Nikitas, went 8-for-12 on 3-pointers and shot 9-for-19 for the game.

Jim Schick added a double-double for Lake Forest with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Brian Madson also had 10 rebounds for the Foresters, who dominated on the glass with a 41-25 rebounding edge.

Lawrence’s leading scorers both came off the bench as Mitch Willer and Jeremy Stephani scored 13 points apiece. Willer was 5-for-7 from the floor, and Stephani went 5-for-9, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range.

Lawrence, which led only once in the game at 9-7, fell behind double digits after Lake Forest scored eight consecutive points to grab a 31-21 edge. Lake Forest would lead by as many as 13 points in the first half before settling for a 43-31 lead at the break.

The Vikings cut the lead to 45-35 on a Jamie Nikitas free throw early in the second half, but Lake Forest went on a 9-2 run to grab a 54-37 edge with 13:46 remaining.

Lawrence responded with a 9-2 run of its own, capped by Willer’s dunk with 9:35 left, to cut the lead to 57-46. Danny Nikitas countered with a 3-pointer for the Foresters, Schick then scored on a conventional three-point play and Mason Zuniga hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 66-50.

Lawrence got no closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

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