The Monmouth College men’s basketball team got a career-high 34 points from Zay Brown (Peoria, Illinois) and held Grinnell (10-3, 5-1) to their lowest scoring output of the year in a 94-82 home win on Tuesday. The Fighting Scots (12-4, 7-0) are the only unbeaten team in Midwest Conference play.
“That was a great team performance tonight,” said head coach Todd Skrivseth. “Our guys did an excellent job executing our game plan and playing unselfish basketball.”
Cameron Thomas (Arlington, Texas) hit a 3-pointer early and Max Maring (Port Byron, Illinois) made a free throw to tie the game. Thomas scored again and Brown put seven points on the board as the Scots took a 13-5 lead. After the Pioneers scored, Thomas made it 15-7 with a bucket in the lane. Grinnell scored six in a row before Brown got a bucket and Jason Huber (Carpentersville, Illinois) made a layup off a steal. Jase Whiteman (Andalusia, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Brown scored again during a 15-2 run that put the Scots up 30-15.
Grinnell scored four in a row before Brown hit two free throws and Kamran Banks (Springfield, Illinois) hit a jumper. Brown scored again for a 34-24 lead and Maring followed with a bucket in the lane. Huber drilled a corner 3-pointer and Turner Plumer (Canton, Illinois) made a free throw. Maring scored four points in a row for a 41-24 Monmouth lead. The Pioneers finished the half on an 8-1 run as the Scots led by 10 at the break,
“I thought we kept our poise tonight and did a good job rebounding the first ball,” said Taylor. “It is hard with how different it is but we were strong with the ball.”
Grinnell started the second half with five quick points before layups by Thomas and Maring. Brown answered a Grinnell bucket but the Pioneers cut the lead to 48-44 just two minutes into the half. Brown hit a jumper and a free throw for a 51-45 lead. Whiteman splashed a 3-pointer as did Huber for a 10-point lead. Brown made a jumper before the Pioneers answered with a bucket in the lane. Brown scored four in a row for a 63-51 lead before Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) hit a free throw.
Banks scored four straight points for a 68-54 lead but Grinnell answered with a 3-pointer. Taylor made two more free throws for a 13-point lead. The Pioneers connected on another shot from distance before Brown scored on a putback. Thomas got into double digits with a layup and Taylor made another free throw. Grinnell cut the lead down to nine before Thomas made a free throw. Out of a timeout with 4:44 to play, Thomas made a layup and Brown scored at the tim for his 30th point of the night. The Pioneers hit a 3-pointer and called timeout down 10 with 3:08 to play.
The Pioneers cut the lead to eight but Taylor made two free throws . Brown restored the lead to 10 with a layup as the clock ticked under two minutes. Brown scored again before the Pioneers cut the lead back to eight. Taylor made two free throws with 40 seconds left and Thomas finished the scoring with two more free throws.
Brown led the team with 34 points and 10 rebounds while adding four assists. Thomas scored 18 points while Huber and Taylor both had nine. Taylor added six rebounds and five assists while Huber led the team with six assists. Whiteman had five assists to go with two steals and Maring had a blocked shot.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Brown has scored in double digits in every game he has played this season and in 26 straight games dating back to last season … That is tied with Lance Castle and Juan Mitchell for the second-longest double-digit scoring streak in Monmouth history … The 34 points is a career high and marks Brown’s third 30-point scoring game … He also tied a career-best with 10 mad free throws … The 34 points is tied for the most scored by a Fighting Scots player since Will Carius had 38 against Illinois College in 2019 … Thomas has scored at least 11 points in 10 straight games and he has 14 double digit games this season … Taylor moved past Carius into eighth on the career free throws attempted list with 319 … He is also the eighth player in Monmouth history with at least 400 3-point attempts … Monmouth had 25 assist on 32 made baskets … The 7-0 start in conference is the best since the 1989-90 team went undefeated as MWC Champions at 13-0 … The senior class has won 59 games over four years, the most in 30 years and tied for 16th amongst all senior classes in MC history … Monmouth leads the all-time series 92-66 with two straight wins and a 10-5 mark in the last 15 … The Scots are 15-13 against Grinnell under Coach Skrivseth … Grinnell had scored at least 94 points in every game this season and made at least nine 3-pointers … They were 7-for-35 from 3-point range on Tuesday … The teams play in Iowa on Feb. 4 … Monmouth is at Lawrence on Saturday and the next home game is Jan. 27 against Cornell.
The Monmouth College women’s basketball team lost 82-57 at home to Grinnell on Tuesday evening. The Fighting Scots (5-11, 1-6) play the next two games on the road before hosting Cornell on Jan. 27.
Grinnell took a 7-0 lead before Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) scored in the post and Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) made a layup. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer but the visitors built a 20-7 lead after one quarter.
Sellers scored early in the second but Grinnell led 31-9 before Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) scored four in a row. Ava Pelaez (Aurora, Colorado) hit a jumper and with Grinnell leading 35-15, Cox scored again. Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Cox scored again to cut Grinnell’s lead to 40-22 at halftime.
Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) scored Monmouth’s first points of the second half but Grinnell went on a 9-2 run to lead 49-24. Walker made a free throw and Stearns knocked down a pair. Grinnell pushed the lead to 27 and Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) made a jumper. Ava Borchardt (Harvard, Illinois) hit a jumper and Stearns made a three to pull the Scots within 20. Rangel scored in the lane and Grinnell led 57-36 after three.
The Pioneers made a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter before Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) hit a runner in the lane. Stearns scored again but Grinnell pushed the lead to 66-40. Rangel hit a 3-pointer and Stearns made a layup but the Pioneers answered to lead by 29. Cox scored four more and Rangel hit a 3-pointer but the Scots trailed by 24 with two minutes left. Pelaez scored and Walker made a free throw but Grinnel finished off the scoring for the 82-57 win.
Cox and Stearns led the Scots with 12 points each while Rangel had 11. Sellers led with seven rebounds, one more than both Cox and Walker. Hoy and Walker had three assists each and Riggs led the Scots with three steals.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Stearns scored in double figures for the ninth time this season … Rangel and Cox both have four games with at least 10 points …Ten different Monmouth players scored … Going 3-for-3 from deep, Rangel moved past Keri Walters into 12th in career 3-pointers made with 71 … Stearns moved past Melissa Gorski into 22nd in made 3’s with 54 … She also collected her 90th career steal … The Scots were just 4-of-12 at the free throw line … Monmouth leads the all-time series 58-36 but Grinnell has won five in a row with a 9-6 mark in the last 15 games … The teams will play again in Iowa on Feb. 4 … The Scots play at Lawrence on Saturday.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
