LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Lawrence University women's basketball team used a stellar defensive effort and a quick start Wednesday to grab a 71-39 Midwest Conference victory over Lake Forest College at the Sports and Recreation Center.
    The win moved Lawrence to 11-3 (17-6 overall) in the league and clinched a spot in the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament for the second consecutive season. The 17 wins marks the fourth-highest victory total in program history.
    Maggie Culver led Lawrence's attack with 14 points as she went 6-for-8 from the floor, and Culver grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Lawrence's Olivia Kesti came off the bench to score 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor, and Kesti added three rebounds. Kate Adams also had 11 points for the Vikings, and she picked up two steals and two rebounds. 
    Lawrence's Mallory Meyer picked up nine points, five rebounds and three steals. Meyer moved into seventh place on Lawrence's career scoring list with 973 points and is just three points from passing Katherine Lofgren, who has 975, for sixth place.
    The Vikings held an opponent to less than 40 points for the fourth time this season. Lawrence forced Lake Forest (4-18, 2-11) into 24 turnovers, and the Foresters shot just 26.9 percent from the floor, including 23.1 percent in the first half.
    Rebecca Christodoulou led Lake Forest with 13 points.
    Lake Forest led for the final time in the game at 5-4 as the Vikings finished the first quarter on an 18-5 run. Lawrence was up 17-10 when Culver scored the final five points of the quarter for a 22-10 advantage. 
    The Vikings led 33-19 in the second quarter when Kesti's jumper started a 7-0 run to finish the opening half. Josie Eager's fastbreak layup give Lawrence a 37-19 edge, and Kesti's three-point play ended the first half with the Vikings up 40-19.
    Lawrence poured it on in the third quarter by outscoring the Foresters 21-9 and led by 33 at 61-28 heading to the fourth. The 33-point lead was Lawrence's largest of the game.