Story by Parker Cassidy
The campus at Monmouth College will be lively tonight as the Fighting Scots host a pair of Midwest Conference games at Glennie Gym, highlighted by a first-place showdown on the men’s side.
The Monmouth College men’s basketball team has its biggest game of the season, hosting Grinnell College with the Midwest Conference lead on the line. The Fighting Scots enter the matchup 11-4 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play, while Grinnell sits right behind in the standings at 10-2 overall and 5-0 in Midwest Conference play. Monmouth is coming off its largest Midwest Conference win of the season, an 87-55 rout of Beloit on Saturday. Sports Information Director Nathan Baliva says tonight’s matchup is a chance for the Scots to separate themselves in the conference race.
“The conference lead is on the line. We are 6-0 in conference play; they are 5-0 in conference play but a chance to really kind of set the tone and take control of the conference with this one. Everybody else has got a loss already, almost everybody else has got two losses already in conference play. So, it’s going to be a challenge for sure. The good thing for us is that almost everybody who plays in the rotation has seen it.”
A win tonight would give Monmouth a 1.5-game lead in the Midwest Conference, while a loss would drop the Scots into second place, a half-game behind the Pioneers.
Following the men’s game, the Monmouth women will also be back on the floor. The Scots will look to build momentum after earning their first Midwest Conference win of the season on Saturday, a 62-61 road victory over Beloit, as they face a Grinnell team sitting at 6-7 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
Tipoff for the men is set for 5:30 tonight, with the women to follow at approximately 7:30.
For the full interview with Nathan Baliva, go to the SPORTS PODCAST section.
