Brown's 22 Points Not Enough in Loss at IC

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/05/2025) — The Monmouth College men's basketball played their first Midwest Conference game in nearly a month on Saturday with a 77-62 loss at Illinois College (9-4, 2-2). The Fighting Scots (8-4, 2-1) dropped their first conference game of the season to the defending champions.

Ganon Greenman (Alpha, Illinois) returned to the starting lineup and scored Monmouth's first four points. Zay Brown (Peoria, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer for a 7-2 lead and Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) also hit an early 3-pointer. Brown hit another 3-pointer for a 13-10 lead and added a free throw. Hill made it 16-12 and Brennen McNally (Paw Paw, Illinois) added a bucket. IC responded with a 15-0 run over the next five minutes until Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) made a free throw. Down 32-19, Monmouth got their first field goal in over six minutes when Brown scored on a putback. Max Maring (Port Byron, Illinois) converted a 3-point play to pull Monmouth within 11. Greenman hit a pair of free throws and Maring scored at the end of the half with the Scots down 43-32.

Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) cut the IC lead to nine early in the second half but IC responded with a 4-0 run. McNally hit a 3-pointer and Taylor added a layup. The hosts pushed the lead to 16 before the Scots went on an 8-0 run to pull within 58-50. Hill scored Monmouth's next four points but they couldn't get closer than eight. The Blueboys went on an 11-4 run to lead 76-58 before Brown scored with two minutes left. Turner Plumer (Canton, Illinois) scored the final points of the game with 1:13 to play.

Brown led the Scots with 22 points but no one else scored in double figures. Hill and Maring had nine each and Taylor added seven. Brown led the way with nine rebounds and Jason Hubger (Carpentersville, Illinois) grabbed six. .

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Brown has scored at least 10 points in 11 games this season ... He topped 20 points for the third time, his second 20-point game in a row ... Greenman scored a season-high six points ... Monmouth out-rebounded the Blueboys 39-33 including 14 offensive boards that led to 17 second-chance points ... Monmouth was just 9-of-17 at the free throw line and 5-for-21 from 3-point range ... Monmouth had six assists, one each from six players, on 24 made baskets ... IC scored 20 points off Monmouth's 14 turnovers ... IC has won five in a row in the series and six of the last seven ... The Scots are 15-10 against IC under coach Skrivseth with a 7-6 mark on the road ... The teams will play in Monmouth on Feb. 5 ... The Scots stay on the road Wednesday with a game at Lawrence after the 5:30 p.m. women's game ... The next home game is Saturday, Jan 18 against Ripon.