Big Second Half Carries Scots to Tuesday Win

Metcalf, Williams, Brasfield combine for 58 in victory

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (11/23/2022) — The Monmouth College men's basketball team put three players in double figures and used a big second half to knock off Webster 76-69 on Tuesday night. Down three at half, the Scots (3-2) built a 20-point lead in the second half to head into Thanksgiving break with a win.

Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) scored on Monmouth's second possession for a 2-0 lead. Webster took a 7-4 lead before Metcalf scored again and his free throws on the next possession put the Scots back on top. Yuvraj Sidhu (Coppell, Texas) tied the game at 10 and David Williams (Loves Park, Illinois) put Monmouth on top with a pair of free throws.

After the Scots took a 17-14 lead, the Gorlocks scored five in a row. Metcalf tied the game with 6:49 to go in the half but the Scots went cold. Webster built the lead to 23-19 and Monmouth's next five points were all free throws. Webster led 27-24 when Williams buried a 3-pointer from the wing and he hit another one with 27 seconds left in the half. Webster scored in the final second of the half for a 35-32 lead at the break. Metcalf led all scorers in the first half with 14 points as he made all six field goal attempts, and Williams had 10 points in the half.

The Scots got the first four points of the second half as Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) and Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) both scored. Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) gave the Scots a 42-39 lead with a runner and Williams added a layup. Monmouth scored seven straight points for a 49-41 lead before Webster hit a pair of free throws. Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) scored and Metcalf added a bucket as the lead grew to 55-43. Brasfield made two free throws and Metcalf's layup put the Scots up 16 with 9:57 left.

Webster cut the lead to 12 before Brasfield knocked down a 3-pointer. Hill and Williams combined for five points on the next two possessions as Monmouth took a 20-point lead at 69-49. Webster went on a 9-0 run from there before Williams hit a 3-pointer with 3:38 to play. Brasfield scored on each of the next two possessions to put the Scots up 76-61 with 2:50 left. Webster ended the game on an 8-0 run but neither team scored in the final 1:28 of the game. Monmouth missed the front end of a 1-and-1 on three straight possessions but Webster turned the ball over twice, missed a jumper and missed two free throws in their final four possessions.

Metcalf led the Scots with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Williams had 20 points, five rebounds and four assists while Brasfield had 15 points, all in the second half. Brasfield added seven rebounds and three assists. Metcalf and Williams both had two steals and Metcalf had a block.

The Scots made 4-of-9 from 3-point range and 16-of-22 from the free throw line. Before the final minutes, the Scots were 16-of-19 at the charity stripe. Monmouth had just eight turnovers in the game, while forcing 15. The Scots will play at home on Saturday with a 4 p.m. start against the University of Dubuque.