Beach and Stearns in Double Figures in Loss at Knox

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/07/2024) — The Monmouth College women's basketball lost 69-53 at Knox on Tuesday night. The Scots host Ripon on Saturday in the home finale.

Knox scored the first four points before Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) scored in the lane on a feed from Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois). Stearns scored again and after Knox scored, Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Illinois) made a layup. Delaney Scheidenhelm (New Berlin, Illinois) and Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) scored to give the Scots a 12-6 lead. After the hosts scored, Danielle Beach (Geneseo, Illinois) scored on a putback. Knox went on an 11-0 run to end the quarter with a 17-14 lead.

Knox had a big run to start the second quarter with Monmouth making four free throws in the first five minutes. Knox led 25-16 when Beach made a pair of free throws before the hosts knocked down a 3-pointer. Stearns made a layup for a 28-20 Knox lead. Knox pushed the lead to 37-21 before Jones scored at the halftime buzzer.

Beach hit a 3-pointer to start the second half and Stearns hit a 3-pointer to trim the Knox lead to 38-29. Jones made a pair of free throws and the Scots held Knox without a field goal for almost six minutes. When Knox finally scored it was a 3-pointer for a 41-31 lead before Stearns scored in the paint for Monmouth. Knox scored the next nine points for a 50-33 lead before Jones and Olivia Dinges (Amboy, Illinois) made free throws. Madison Heisch (Illinois City, Illinois) made a layup and Knox led 50-38 at the end of the quarter.

Stearns started the fourth quarter with a free throw before Knox got a layup. The teams traded baskets and Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to pull the Scots within 11. Knox answered with a basket and Mitchell hit another 3-pointer from the left wing. Knox used an 8-2 run to push the lead to 65-49 with under three minutes to play. Mitchell scored on a layup but Knox responded in kind. Beach scored the last bucket for Monmouth as Knox finished off a 69-53 win,

Beach led the Scots with 13 points while Stearns added 12. Jones had nine points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. Beach and Jones both had three assists while Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) had three steals.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: With two makes on Tuesday, Mitchell is alone in 14th on the career 3-pointers made list with 66Beach has scored in double figures seven games this season including five of the last sixJones had 11 rebounds, one off her career-high from the first Knox gameStearns had 32 points in the two games against KnoxMonmouth won the battle of the boards 54-47The Scots won the third quarter 15-13Monmouth leads the all-time series 62-42 but Knox is 7-3 in the last 10The Scots return home for a Saturday contest against Ripon, the home finaleTip off will be 25 minutes after the end of the 3 p.m. men's game and there will be a pregame Senior Day ceremony.