by Nathan Baliva
MONMOUTH, ILL. (02/07/2026) The Monmouth College women’s basketball team fell at No. 15 Ripon 88-53 on Saturday. The Fighting Scots (7-15, 3-10) return home for the next two games against Knox and Lake Forest.
The Scots jumped out to a 5-0 lead as Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) scored inside. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) made it 7-4 with a jumper before Ripon went on a 16-0 run. Hannah Peel (Gladwin, MIchigan) made a free throw and Ripon led 22-8 after the opening quarter.
They pushed the lead to 20 before Rangel made a 3-pointer, Monmouth’s first field goal in over 11 minutes. Ripon scored twice and Ava Borchardt (Harvard, Illinois) made a layup. Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) split free throws and Borchardt scored again. Ripon extended the lead to 41-16 before Walker scored again. Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) scored Monmouth’s final points of the half as Ripon took a 49-19 lead into the break.
Ripon started the third quarter on a 12-2 run to lead 61-21. Walker made a layup, Stearns scored six points and Peel hit a pair of free throws in a 10-1 Monmouth run. Peel and Walker both scored and Stearns made a layup to end the quarter with Ripon up 70-38.
Down 35, the Scots got a 3-point play from Stearns but Ripon went on an 8-0 run to ;lead 81-41. Rangel hit a 3-pointer and Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) scored before Ripon extended the lead to 42. Monmouth finished the game on a 7-0 run with two layups from Walker and a 3-pointer by Rangel.
Stears led the Scots with 17 points while Rangel had 12 on four made 3-pointers. Sellers had five rebounds while Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) had three assists and two steals. Walker had three steals and added 10 points.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Walker has scored 10 or more points five times this season, four of those in MWC games … Stearns has a team-best 14 games with at least 10 points, including five in a row … With her 60th made 3-pointer, Stearns moves into a tie for 18th on the career list with Katie Sheets … With her four made 3-pointers, Rangel moved past 2022 MWC Player of the Year Josie Morgan for ninth on the Monmouth career list with 79 … She also moved past Yvonne Ornelas for eighth on the attempts list … Hoy moved into a tie for seventh place with Colleen Forrest and Katherine Forrest with 97 games played … The Scots were 8-for-18 at the free throw lineRipon won the rebounding battle 36-14 with 17 offensive rebounds … Ripon leads the all-time series 41-21 and they have won 10 in a row, all by at least 13 points … Ripon won 76-40 in Monmouth last month … Ripon is 13-2 in the last 15 matchups with Monmouth winning two straight in February of 2020 … The Scots return home on Wednesday against Knox after the 5:30 p.m. men’s game.
***Recap and photo courtesy of Monmouth College Athletics***
