PICTURED ABOVE: Devin Kyler scored 10 points with nine rebounds in Wheaton's 74-57 season-opening victory over Lake Forest.

Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton women's basketball team opened its 2017-18 campaign with a 74-57 victory over Lake Forest in the Beth Baker Classic on Friday afternoon. Wheaton pushed the lead to as many as 28 points late in the fourth quarter, cruising to a 1-0 start to the season. The Foresters fall to 0-2. Wheaton will wrap up the Beth Baker Classic on Saturday afternoon with a 3 pm tip-off against Louisiana College.

Wheaton was hot from the field in the first half, shooting 47.1% on its way to a 40.5% (30-74) performance from the field despite shooting just 4-18 (22.2%) from beyond the three-point line and 10-of-15 (66.7%) from the free throw line. Lake Forest shot just 32.3% (21-65). Wheaton held a 52-41 rebound advantage including a 20-15 edge on the offensive glass.

Wheaton jumped out to a quick 9-3 lead on the back of consecutive lay-ups by Maggie Dansdill but the Foresters answered with a quick 8-2 lead to take their only lead of the game at 11-10 with 3:39 left in the first quarter. From that point, Wheaton distanced itself from Lake Forest with an ensuing 10-0 run to push its lead to 22-14 at the end of the first quarter.

Another run of seven points in the second quarter inflated Wheaton's advantage to 15 points, leading to a 41-28 halftime lead for Wheaton. A 9-2 run to start the second half put Wheaton ahead comfortably at 50-32 en route to a 62-42 lead at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter opened with Wheaton on a 10-2 run to push the lead to a game-high 28 points on Erica Van Dusen's lay-up, making the score 72-44 and putting Wheaton on cruise control to the finish line.

Kelly Lawson led all scorers with 17 points to lead four Thunder in double-figures in scoring. Maggie Dansdill poured in 16 points with six rebounds and Hannah Frazier tallied 10 points and five rebounds in her Thunder debut. Devin Kyler stuffed the stat sheed with 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jordan Myroth finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.