The Monmouth College women’s basketball won the first quarter on Sunday but lost the next three in a 63-47 loss at Eureka College. The FIghting Scots (4-5) had two players in double figures in their first road game in nearly three weeks.
Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) gave the Scots a 2-0 lead and Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) made it 4-2 as the two teams traded points early. Goodrich and Jones scored seven points each in the first quarter. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) made a free throw as did Jones for a 15-6 lead, Monmouth’s largest of the game. Eureka finished the quarter on a 4-0 run.
Goodrich scored early in the second for a 17-13 lead and Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) added a basket. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) maintained the 4-point lead with a basket and Jones scored again for a 23-17 lead with 5:01 to play in the half. Monmouth didn’t score the rest of the half as Eureka tied the game going into the break.
The Red Devils kept their run going in the third quarter with the first four points for a 27-23 lead. Olivia Dinges (Amboy, Illinois) ended the run with two free throws and Stearns made two as well. Stearns hit a 3-pointer to cut Eureka’s lead to 34-30 and Jones scored on a putback. The hosts pushed the lead to 40-32 before Cox scored. The deficit grew to 14 by the end of the quarter as the Red Devils scored 30 points in the frame. .
Eureka led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter before Stearns and Jones scored. Goodrich scored to make it 61-47 with 5:!4 to play but the teams combined to score just two more points in the game.
Jones led the team in scoring with 17 points while Goodrich had 11 and Stearns added nine. Jones had nine rebounds while Goodrich had eight. Stearns led Monmouth with six assists.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Jones has scored in double figures seven times this season, including three straight games … She has at least eight rebounds in four straight games … Goodrich has been in double figures four times this season … Monmouth outrebounded Eureka 48-40 … The Scots committed 28 turnovers while Eureka had 11 … Monmouth was 8-for-17 at the free throw line and 1-of-12 from 3-point range … The Scots held Eureka to 29% shooting from the field … Monmouth leads the all-time series 26-21 but have lost two in a row … The 7-game road trip continues Wednesday at Benedictine with a 6 p.m.start … The next home game is Jan. 18 again Ripon.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
