The Monmouth College men’s basketball team put four players in double figures en route to an 89-52 blowout of Central Christian College of the Bible on Monday night. The win moves the Scots to 2-1 on the season and 2-0 at home as they shot 56% from the field.
The Saints scored the first bucket of the game and led again 4-2. Monmouth scored six straight before CCCB cut the lead to 8-6 at the 15:53 mark. The Scots clamped down on defense and shut out the Saints over the next seven minutes, going on a 17-0 run. Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) started the run with a dunk and David Williams hit a 3-pointer for a 13-6 lead. Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) hit a three and after a couple buckets, Williams hit another 3-pointer for the 25-6 lead.
The Saints cut the lead down to 10 at 29-19 before Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) drilled a 3-pointer. Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) made a shot from deep and Flynn followed with a runner in the lane. Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) scored to put the Scots up 20 at 43-23 but the Saints finished the half on a 7-0 run. Metcalf had 14 points and nine rebounds in the first half as Monmouth made five 3-pointers.
Metcalf scored on the first two possessions of the second half and Yuvraj Sidhu (Coppell, Texas) scored inside for a 49-30 lead. Taylor made a 3-pointer, then setup Williams for a layup on the fast break. Metcalf scored on a putback and Brasfield hit a layup for a 58-33 Scots lead. The lead kept growing as the Saints went more than four minutes without a bucket. By time they made another field goal, the Scots led by 29. Hill pushed the lead to 30 at 68-38 with a 3-pointer and bucket by Flynn gave the Scots 70 points with 11:28 to play.
The lead stayed in the 30-34 range as the Scots went to the bench. Jack Hosack (St. Petersburg, Florida) hit a 3-pointer for an 83-48 lead and Tyler Harms (Flanagan, Illinois) made it 85-50 with a putback in the lane. Brady Arrenius (Albuquerque, New Mexico) scored his first career basket for an 87-50 lead and Harms added the final points with 25 seconds left.
Metcalf, named Midwest Conference Performer of the Week earlier in the day, grabbed his third straight double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Taylor had 12 points, Williams had 10 and Flynn added 10. Hill scored nine and Brasfield had seven for the Scots. Williams and Taylor both had four assists while Metcalf led the team in blocks (3) and steals (2).
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Metcalf was 11-of-13 from the field. The Scots shot 56% from the field and 38% from 3-point range while holding the Saints to 34% shooting and 11% from 3-point range. Monmouth was 0-for-3 at the free throw line. The Scots won the battle of the boards 41-31. Jason Huber (Carpentersville, Illinois) and Damarian Stark (Roscoe, Illinois) joined Arrenius in making their college debuts. The 3-pointer made was the first for Hosack in a Monmouth uniform. The Scots played 19 players on Monday. Monmouth’s season high in scoring last year was 91 against Grinnell on Feb, 6. The high against a non-Grinnell team was 85 at Lake Forest last November. The Scots host Coe College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with a JV game at 5:30.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
