Stearns Scores Career High 27 but Scots Fall 101-72
Walker also posts career-best in scoring
MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/12/2026) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team fell at home against Knox on Wednesday by the score of 101-72. The Fighting Scots (7-16, 3-11) are off this weekend before their final home game of the season next Wednesday.
Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) scored the first points of the game and Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) put the Scots up 4-0. Stearns scored again and Hoy tied the game with a free throw. Stearns scored off a turnover but Knox went on an 8-0 run to lead 18-9. Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) scored the next four points and Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) cut the Knox lead to 20-15 at the end of the quarter.
Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) scored to start the second quarter and Stearns added two more baskets. Knox led by seven when Rangel hit a 3-pointer but the visitors pushed the lead to 10. Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) made free throws and Hannah Peel (Gladwin, MIchigan) hit a 3-pointer for a 39-32 game. Knox went on an 8-2 run before Stearns scored to end the half with Monmouth down 47-37. .
The Prairie Fire opened the second half with a 16-2 run to lead 63-39 with under five minutes to play in the quarter. Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) scored on a putback and Stearns made the next field goal. Peel hit a jumper but Knox extended the lead to 80-51 at the end of the quarter.
Stearns started the fourth with a bucket but Knox went on a 10-0 run to lead 90-53. Stearns ended the run with a 3-pointer and layup before Walker scored at the rim. Knox went up 98-62 and made two free throws with 3:17 left to hit the century mark and lead 100-62. Monmouth ended the game on a 10-1 run with six points from Walker and buckets by Peel and Stearns.
Stearns led the way with a career-high 27 while Walker scored a career-best 17. Sellers led the Scots with seven rebounds while Walker and Riggs both had two assists. Rice and Riggs both grabbed three steals and Sellers blocked a shot.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Stearns scored the most points by a Monmouth player since Zoie Wall netted 29 against Lawrence in January 2023 ... Her previous career high was 22 ... Stearns has a team-best 15 games with at least 10 points, including six in a row ... She moved into 12th on the career 3-pointers attempted list ... Walker scored a career-high, five more than she had against Eureka on Dec. 29 ... Walker has scored 10 or more points six times this season, five of those in MWC games ... Hoy moved into a tie for fifth place with Kaley Corban and Paige Nord on the career games played list with 98 ... Knox scored 74 points in the paint ... Monmouth was 11-for-26 at the line ... The last time an opponent scored at least 100 points in regulation was also a game against Knox in 2015 ... Monmouth leads the all-time series 62-46 but Knox is 8-2 in the last 10 including an 86-52 win in Galesburg on Dec. 6 ... Knox has won eight straight in the series dating back to the 2022 MWC Tournament when the Scots won 57-48 in Ripon ... That's the longest streak by either school since Monmouth won 25 in a row from 2002-2015 ... The Scots are off this weekend before hosting Lake Forest next Wednesday in the home finale.
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Nathan Baliva 309-457-2322 nbaliva@monmouthcollege.eduShare this Story
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