Basketball Season Ends in 70-48 Semifinal Loss to Cornell

by Nathan Balva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/25/2023) — The Monmouth College men's basketball season came to an end Friday night in the Midwest Conference Tournament semifinals with a 70-48 loss to Cornell College. The 3-seeded Fighting Scots (14-12) never led against the 3-seeded Rams (15-11) who will face Illinois College on Saturday in the championship game.

Cornell scored the first five points of the game before MWC First-Team selection Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) knocked down a jumper. Metcalf made two free throws with Cornell up 11-2 but the Scots went more than seven minutes without a field goal. Cornell led 20-4 when MWC Newcomer of the Year David Williams (Loves Park, Illinois) knocked down a 3-pointer with 10:19 left in the half. Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) and Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) scored but Cornell pushed the lead back to 14 before Metcalf scored again. Williams made another 3-pointer to start a 6-2 Scots run as Taylor also knocked down a triple. Cornell answered with a 3-pointer of their own to go up 32-19 but Taylor hit his second in a row to get the lead back to 10 with 2:41 left in the half. Monmouth missed their last four shots of the half and Cornell took a 36-22 lead into the locker room.

Cornell scored the first nine points of the second half for an overall 13-0 run to go on top 45-22. Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) ended the run with a layup, three minutes into the half and Taylor hit another 3-pointer to make it 47-27. Cornell used a 14-3 run over the next seven minutes for a 61-30 lead with 5:00 to play. Hill and Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) made baskets before Williams knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 63-40. Jadyn Ellison (Hudson, Illinois) made a basket and Jack Hosack (St. Petersburg, Florida) knocked down a 3-pointer. Yuvraj Sidhu (Coppell, Texas) scored Monmouth's final points in the 70-48 loss.

Taylor led the Scots with 11 points while Williams had 10. Monmouth shot 27.1% from the field. Cornell was 3-0 against the Scots this season and they have won eight in a row against Monmouth.