Brown Scores 35 as Scots Advance to MWC Championship Game
Five Monmouth players in double figures in 93-84 win
MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/28/2026) — The Monmouth College men's basketball team put five players in double figures, led by 35 from Zay Brown (Peoria, Illinois) to beat Lake Forest 93-84 in the Midwest Conference Tournament semifinals on Friday. The Fighting Scots (20-6) won a MWC Tournament game for the first time since 2018 and will play for a NCAA Tournament berth on Saturday afternoon.
Brown tied the game with a bucket and free throw before Lake Forest took a 13-7 lead. Cameron Thomas (Arlington, Texas) scored but the Foresters led 17-9 after six minutes. Brown and Thomas both scored and Brown hit a 3-pointer to pull Monmouth within one. Turner Plumer (Canton, Illinois) put the Scots on top with the next four points before Thomas scored four straight. Max Maring (Port Byron, Illinois) gave the Scots a 28-24 lead and Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer. Brown scored again and Taylor hit another 3-pointer for a 6-point lead. Taylor connected on a third 3-pointer in the half and Brown scored the next five points for a 44-36 lead. Plumer made a layup and Jason Huber (Carpentersville, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer to put the Scots up 12.
Leading 51-39, Brown started the second half with two layups and Maring scored inside. Maring hit two free throws and Brown put the Scots on top 66-50 after five minutes of the second half. The Foresters went on a mini run but .Huber scored after four straight free throws to push the lead back to 15. Brown hit a pair of jumpers for an 81-69 lead with five minutes to play and Plumer added two free throws. After a 4-0 LFC run, Taylor made two at the line and Brown added one. Lake Forest closed the gap to eight with 41 seconds left before Thomas made a free throw. After a bucket and timeout by the Foresters, Taylor hit two free throws with 32 seconds left. He closed the scoring with two more free throws for the 93-84 win.
Brown led the way with 35 points and nine rebounds while Taylor had 17 points and five assists. Maring had 12 points and both Thomas and Plumer had 10 to put five in double figures. Plumer added seven rebounds while Brown had three assists and a block.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Brown is the eighth player in school history to score at least 500 points in a single season ... He moved past his points total from last year and also went past Scott Shaver, Bill Seiler and Jim Thornton to move into eighth on the single-season list with 506 points ... Brown also moved into the top 10 on the single-season rebounds list with 240 and he is tied for fourth with Seiler in FGA and FGM in a season ... Brown has scored in double digits in every game he has played this season and now holds the school record by scoring in double digits in 36 straight games dating back to last season ... His 25 straight double digit games this season in also a single-season record ... Thomas has scored at least 10 points in 20 straight games and he has 24 double digit games this season ... Taylor moved past Don Armstrong and Brant Carius for 19th on the career scoring list ... Taylor moved into a tie with Greg Kloepping for fourth on the career made 3-pointers list with 156 ... Plumer scored a season high 10 points and also won the MWC Elite 20 Award ... The last time Monmouth had consecutive 20-win seasons was 1988-89/1989-90 ... The senior class has 67 wins, tied with the 1990 and 1993 classes for third most in school history ... Monmouth completed the three-game sweep of Lake Forest on the season ... Lake Forest leads the all-time series 56-44 ... The Scots are 17-14 against Lake Forest under coach Skrivseth ... The Scots and Grinnell play at 3 p.m. Saturday with a NCAA berth on the line ... The teams split in the regular season.
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Nathan Baliva 309-457-2322 nbaliva@monmouthcollege.eduShare this Story
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