Junior forward Lauren Woods scored a career-high 27 points to lead the SLU women’s team to a 71-62 victory at Fordham in Atlantic 10 action in New York on Tuesday night. The 6’0” former Belleville East standout made nine of her 11 field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers to lead the Billikens. She also made seven of 10 from the free throw line. She scored 18 of those 27 points in the second half. The 27 points was also a single-game best by a SLU women’s player this season.

Woods is enjoying a breakout season in her junior year. She is averaging a team-high 14 points, which is also fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Her scoring average is almost double of what her sophomore output of 7.8 points was from last season.

  Woods is also averaging 3.7 rebounds a game while shooting 70 percent from the free throw line. This talented young lady is really starting to come into her own as a college player. With the early graduation of leading scorer Theresa Lisch after last season, Woods has emerged as one of the Billikens’ primary offensive threats with her versatility and athleticism.

  For her career, Woods has scored 753 points in her three seasons. She should easily pass the 1,000-point mark next season as she gradually moves up the list of career scorers at SLU.

   A 2007 graduate of Belleville East, Woods was an All Southwestern Conference player and All-State performer. Woods and current SLU teammate Amanda Kemezys led Belleville East to a berth in the IHSA Class AA Supersectionals.