The Monmouth College women’s basketball team put five players in double digits and outscored Blackburn 14-2 in overtime for an 82-70 road win on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots (2-2) held the Beavers to six points in the second quarter and two points in overtime in the win.
Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) scored Monmouth’s first points for the third straight game and Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer for a 5-2 lead. Blackburn scored the next five before Goodrich hit a 3-pointer and added a layup. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) put the Scots up 12-9 with a layup before the hosts scored the next five points. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) and Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) hit free throws and Stearns put the Scots up 17-14 with a layup. The Beavers went on a 6-2 run to end the first quarter with a 20-19 lead.
Monmouth clamped down on defense in the second quarter, holding Blackburn to just six points in 10 minutes. Stearns scored for a 22-21 lead and Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) made a free throw. Buckets by Hoy, Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) and Stearns put the Scots up 29-25. Ava Pelaez (Aurora, Colorado) scored the next six points and Sellers made a free throw for a 36-26 halftime lead.
Pelaez started the second half with a bucket and layups from Rangel and Stearns made it 42-31. Cox scored four in a row and Pelaez hit another 3-pointer for a 51-42 lead. Rangel hit a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the quarter and Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) made a free throw for a 56-45 lead after three quarters.
Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) started the fourth quarter with a layup for a 13-point lead. Rangel, Stearns and Walker all scored as the Scots traded buckets with the Beavers. Monmouth went cold and Blackburn used a 11-2 run to pull with one with 3:10 to play. Cox made a layup but Blackburn tied the game at 66 with a 3-pointer. Pelaez made two free throws with 2:08 to play and Blackburn answered with a layup. Both teams missed shots in the final minute and the game went to overtime.
Goodrich started the extra period with a 3-pointer and added a free throw on the next possession. Pelaez split free throws and Stearns made two as the Beavers missed shots. Leading 75-68, Cox scored on a layup with 90 seconds to play. Stearns, Goodrich and Pelaez connected on free throws as the Scots nearly held Blackburn scoreless in overtime for an 82-70 win.
Stearns and Goodrich led the Scots with 17 points each while Pelaez scored 16. Cox and Rangel were also in double figures with 10 points each. Stearns led Monmouth with a career-high 11 rebounds while Goodrich and Pelaez both had nine. Stearns had five assist and four steals.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Goodrich has scored in double figures in three straight games … Stearns had a career-high nine rebounds and was one assist shy of tying her career high from last December … Pelaez had season bests in points and rebounds … The Scots made 24 free throws … Monmouth scored 27 points off 21 Blackburn turnovers … Monmouth out-rebounded Blackburn 53-39 with 18 offensive rebounds … Monmouth leads the all-time series 9-2 with four straight wins … The teams had not met since the 2019-20 season and Blackburn last beat the Scots in 1997-98Monmouth hosts Coe at 3 p.m. Saturday.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
