by Nathan Baliva
MONMOUTH, ILL. (01/21/2026) The Monmouth College women’s basketball team picked up their second road win in 11 days with a 68-62 victory at Lake Forest on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots (6-12, 2-7) have won at Lake Forest (2-15, 0-8) two years in a row.
Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) scored the first basket of the game and Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) made it 4-0. Riggs scored again for a 6-2 lead and Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) made a free throw. Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) put the Scots up 8-6 with a free throw and Hannah Peel (Gladwin, Michigan) hit a 3-pointer. Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) scored before LFC netted the final baskets of the quarter to put the Scots up 13-11,
Lake Forest scored the first five points of the second quarter, pushing their run to nine as they took a 16-13 lead. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) ended the run with a bucket but the hosts hit a 3-pointer to lead 19-15. Ava Pelaez (Aurora, Colorado) answered with a 3-pointer but LFC scored five in a row to lead by six. Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) knocked down a 3-pointer with four minutes left in the half. Hoy hit a pair of 3-pointers to give the Scots a 27-25 lead and Stearns made a free throw. Sellers scored and Rice made a free throw to give Monmouth a 31-29 lead.
Lake Forest scored first in the third quarter before Hoy put the Scots back on top. Rangel made two free throws and Ava Borchardt (Harvard, Illinois) scored to answer a LFC bucket. The hosts scored seven in a row to lead 41-37 before Walker made a free throw. Peel hit a 3-pointer but Lake Forest closed the quarter with a run to lead 49-42.
The Scots tied the game with a 7-0 run as Hoy, Peel, Stearns and Riggs all scored in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. The Foresters went back on top 50-49 before Sellers gave the Scots the lead. Hoy made two free throws for a 53-51 lead and after LFC tied the game, Walker hit a 3-pointer. Stearns made a layup with 3:40 to play with the Scots up five. On the next possession, Stearns made a free throw before LFC scored. Walker and Stearns added buckets as the defense shut LFC down. Both also added free throws for a 67-59 lead with 30 seconds left. Rice made a free throw and the Scots held on to win 68-62.
Hoy led the Scots with 13 points while Stearns had 12 and Walker added 10. Stearns had 10 rebounds for a double-double and Sellers added eight. Stearns and Hoy had three assists each and Walker grabbed two steals.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Stearns now has 94 career steals. Stearns has two double doubles on the season. She moved past Keri Dodson for 13th on the career 3-pointers attempted list with 218. Rangel moved into a tie with Tarae Warner for 11th on the career 3-pointers made list with 72. She also moved past Kelsey Walsberg for 10th on the 3-pointers attempted list with 272. Lake Forest leads the all-time series 44-19. Monmouth won at LFC last year as well. The teams are 5-5 in the last 10 matchups. They play again in Monmouth on Feb. 18, the final regular season game. The Scots play at home on Tuesday against Cornell.
***Recap and photo courtesy of Monmouth College Athletics***
