Career-High 20 from Stearns Not Enough for Scots on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/28/2024) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team got off to a fast start but ultimately lost at home to Knox 84-67 on Saturday. Sophomore Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) scored 20 points, a career-high and a Monmouth season-high for any player in the loss.

Monmouth built an early lead with 3-point plays from Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) and Stearns. Danielle Beach (Geneseo, Illinois) scored on a layup for an 8-4 lead and Stearns added a bucket. Stearns scored on another layup and Beach gave the Scots a 14-8 lead with a bucket in the lane. Goodrich had a putback for a 16-10 lead before Knox scored 10 straight to take the lead. Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Illinois) made two free throws to end the run and cut the Knox lead to 20-18. Stearns tied the game with a layup and Knox missed a shot at the first quarter buzzer.

Knox scored the first four points of the second quarter before Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) hit a free throw. Beach scored in the lane before Knox hit free throws for a 28-23 lead. Beach made a free throw but Knox led 32-24 when Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer. Delaney Scheidenhelm (New Berlin, Illinois) hit a jumper and Olivia Dinges (Amboy, Illinois) made a free throw as Knox pushed the lead to 38-30. Knox made two free throws and a jumper to lead 42-30 at halftime.

Knox scored to start the second half before Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) scored in the lane and Jones made a putback. Jones had a 3-point play and Goodrich scored on a layup to trim the Knox lead to 50-39. Goodrich scored the next four points on layups and added a free throw for a 54-44 game. Knox went on another run before Jones scored and Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to pull the Scots within 12.

Goodrich scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to cut the Knox lead to 62-54. After Knox scored, Stearns hit a 3-pointer but the Prairie Fire answered and then scored seven points in a row. Stearns hit another 3-pointer before Knox went on a 4-0 run to lead 75-60 with 2:53 to play. Stearns scored again and Beach made two free throws before a layup put Knox up 80-64 with one minute to play. Stearns got to 20 points with a 3-pointer but Knox scored the final four points to win 84-67.

Stearns had a career-high 20 points with a career-high three 3-pointers. Goodrich scored 16 points while Beach had 10 and Jones added eight. Jones led the Scots with a career-high 12 rebounds and Goodrich added nine. Beach had four assists while Jones blocked three shots.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Mitchell is tied for 15th on the career 3-pointers made list with 62. Jones has scored 10 or more 11 times this season and 15 times overall. Jones had a career-high three blocked shots. Stearns' previous career-high was 11 points, done twice in November. The previous high for any Monmouth player in scoring this season was 18 points, done twice by MItchell and once by Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois). Goodrich also scored a career-high and she's been in double figures seven times this season. Goodrich has at least nine rebounds in six games this season. Monmouth leads the all-time series 62-41 but Knox is 6-4 in the last 10. Monmouth and Knox will play in Galesburg on Feb. 6. The Scots are at Illinois College on Tuesday.