The Monmouth College men’s basketball team led early but eventually fell to Illinois College in the battle of the last two unbeaten conference teams on Wednesday. The 75-60 loss drops the Scots to 5-4 overall, 2-1 in MWC action heading into the finals break.
Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) got the Scots on the board with a free throw and Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) scored the first Monmouth field goal for a 3-2 lead. Monmouth trailed 12-5 when Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) knocked down a 3-pointer. A free throw by Yuvraj Sidhu (Coppell, Texas) and a bucket from Hill cut the IC lead to 13-12. Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) put the Scots on top with a 3-pointer. The teams traded baskets until another 3-pointer by Hill put the Scots up 23-18. Hill completed a 3-point play and David Williams (Loves Park, Illinois) knocked down a 3-pointer for a 29-22 Monmouth lead. Flynn pushed the lead to nine with 4:41 to go in the half before IC finished the period on an 11-1 run for a 33-32 lead at halftime.
Metcalf made a pair of free throws early in the second half for a 34-33 Monmouth lead. The Blue Boys scored five in a row and eventually pushed the lead to 44-39. They went up by eight before Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer. Hill cut the lead to two at 51-49 but IC scored the next nine points to go up 60-49. Flynn ended the run with a bucket with 7:51 to play and Metcalf scored four in a row and Hill scored as the Scots got within six. The hosts went back up by 10 with 2:46 to play and Brasfield knocked down a 3-pointer. Brasfield made a free throw and IC led 68-60 with 2:00 left but the Scots didn’t score again, falling 75-60.
Hill led the Scots with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting while Metcalf had 11 points. Flynn was also in double figures with 10 and Williams scored seven points. Metcalf had nine rebounds before fouling out, Hill led the team with three assists and Brasfield had three steals.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Monmouth and IC split last year’s games with the road team winning both contests. Monmouth is 7-3 in their last 10 against IC and had won four straight in Jacksonville since a 122-118 3OT loss on Feb, 14, 2017. Williams has scored at least seven points and made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season. Monmouth was out-rebounded 57-27 and IC grabbed 27 offensive boards. The Scots have nine days off before hosting Westminster at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.17.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
