Beach Posts Double-Double but Scots Lose at Cornell

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/15/2024) — The Monmouth College women's basketball lost at Cornell 66-56 on Wednesday night. Freshman Danielle Beach (Geneseo, Illinois) posted her first collegiate double-double in the loss.

Cornell jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) scored for the Scots. Beach made a 3-pointer, as did Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) later in the quarter. Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left in the quarter for a 13-12 Monmouth lead.

Cornell regained the lead early in the second quarter with an 8-0 run. Jones scored to end the run and Beach added a bucket. Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Illinois) made a 3-pointer and Goodrich put the Scots back on top 22-21. The teams traded the lead throughout the quarter with Hoy's bucket giving Monmouth a 28-25 lead with 2:27 left in the half. Beach completed a 3-point play but the game was tied 33-33 at halftime.

Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third quarter for a 39-33 Monmouth lead. However, the Scots didn't score for the final 8:51 of the period and Cornell went on an 11-0 run to lead 44-39.

The Rams pushed the lead to 48-39 before Beach scored on a layup. Monmouth made six straight free throws but the Rams pushed the lead back to seven. Jones scored on a putback with 3:35 to play and Goodrich scored on the next possession for a 55-52 Cornell lead. The hosts responded with a 3-pointer and then traded buckets with Mitchell and Goodrich scoring for the Scots. Up five, the Rams iced the game with a 3-pointer with 41 seconds to play and then made a pair of free throws for the 66-56 final score.

Beach and Goodrich led the Scots with 13 points each. Beach added 10 rebounds for a double-double white Jones had a team-leading 11 boards. Stearns, Beach and Mitchell all had three assists.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: With one make on Wednesday, Mitchell moved past Shayne Smith for 13th on the career 3-pointers made list with 68. Beach had been in double digits for rebounds three times but this is her first double-double of the season. Jones has had at least 11 rebounds three times in the last five games. Monmouth was 15-of-19 from the free throw line. Cornell leads the all-time series 37-32Monmouth plays the season finale at Grinnell on Saturday after the 1 p.m. men's game.