The Monmouth College women’s basketball team picked up their first win of the season with a 74-60 victory at Dominican on Saturday. The Scots used a 14-0 run in the first half to take control of the game and finished with four players in double figures.
“We played well today,” said head coach Michelle Decoud. “We connected on the offensive end to get each other good looks and got stops when we needed to defensively.”
Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Illinois) opened the scoring with a pair of free throws and Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) added a bucket. Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) got into the scoring column and Mitchell made another free throw for a 7-6 Monmouth lead. Olivia Dinges (Amboy, Illinois) added two free throws and Jones made a layup for an 11-7 lead. Dominican scored five straight for a 12-11 and then led 15-14. Monmouth scored the final nine points of the quarter with free throws from Dinges and Madison Heisch (Illinois City, Illinois), a basket from Danielle Beach (Geneseo, Illinois) and a three points from Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois).
Jones and Goodrich started the second quarter with layups and Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) made a free throw for a 28-15 Monmouth lead. Dominican ended the 14-0 run but Goodrich scored Monmouth’s next five points for a 33-19 lead. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) made a jumper and a free throw for a 36-21 lead. The Stars scored the final six points of the half to cut Monmouth’s lead to 36-27 at the break.
Mitchell hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter and Jones added two layups. The Stars scored five straight before Jones scored again. The teams traded baskets with Cox and Beach scoring for Monmouth. Mitchell knocked down a pair of free throws in the final minute of the quarter for a 53-46 lead
The Stars started the fourth quarter with a basket and Cox answered with two field goals on the next two possessions for a 57-49 lead. Goodrich hit a pair of free throws and added a bucket for a 62-52 lead. She scored again before Jones made a free throw and Beach scored in the lane for a 13-point lead. Beach pushed the lead to 15 on a layup with 1:33 to play and the teams traded baskets with Cox scoring for the Scots. Stearns made a free throw and Beach scored for the 74-60 final.
“I’m excited for us to continue to develop and come together,” said Decoud. “We are pumped to get a win going into conference play next week”
Goodrich led the Scots with a career-high 15 points while Jones added 14, Cox had 13 and Beach had 10. Goodrich also led the way with nine rebounds, one more than Cox. Goodrich and Cox both led the team with three assists while Jones and Hoy had two steals each.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The win is the first for first-year head coach Michelle Decoud. Goodrich scored a career-high 15 points, her second time in double figures and Beach scored in double figures for the first time. Monmouth beat the Stars 68-50 at home on Thanksgiving weekend last year. The all-time series is 3-1 Monmouth. The 14-0 run is the longest for the Scots this season. Jones has scored at least six points in all six games and has four games of 10 or more. Cox has been in double digits three times this seasonGoodrich has at least five rebounds in four straight games. Mitchell made her first 23 free throws of the season, the fourth longest streak in school history for consecutive free throws made. Mitchell also ranks fifth on the list after staring the 2020-21 season 20-for-20. The Scots start Midwest Conference play at Lake Forest on Tuesday, following the men’s 5:30 p.m. game. The next three games are MWC action with home games Dec. 2 against Beloit and Dec. 6 against Illinois College.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
