Five in Double Figures as Scots Beat Ripon
MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/08/2026) — The Monmouth College men's basketball team returned home to beat Ripon (2-12, 2-3) 81-75 on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots (10-5, 5-0) moved into sole possession of first place in the Midwest Conference with five players scoring in double digits.
Zay Brown (Peoria, Illinois) scored a minute into the game to tie things up and Max Maring (Port Byron, Illinois) made it 4-2. Brown scored again and then made two free throws, as did Maring. Brown hit two more free throws for a 12-8 lead before the Red Hawks converted a 4-point play to tie the game. Maring hit a baseline jumper but Ripon scored six in a row to lead 18-14, Jase Whiteman (Andalusia, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Maring made two more free throws. Kamran Banks (Springfield, Illinois) scored on a putback and Whiteman hit another 3-pointer for a 24-22 Scots lead. Whiteman hit two free throws before Ripon tied the game at 26.
Back from a knee injury, senior Turner Plumer (Canton, Illinois) hit two free throws for his first points in 368 days. Payton Crims (Alsip, Illinois) scored on an athletic layup and Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) hit a floater for a 32-26 lead. Ripon scored the next five before a Crims layup put Monmouth up three. Ripon regained the lead with two field goals before Plumer scored down low. The Red Hawks scored again to lead 37-36 at halftime.
Jason Huber (Carpentersville, Illinois) scored to start the second half and Maring added a free throw for a 39-37 lead. Maring and Cameron Thomas (Arlington, Texas) hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Ripon called timeout with the Scots leading by eight. Ripon finally scored but Thomas hit a 3-pointer and Taylor made two free throws off a technical foul for a 50-40 lead. Taylor hit a 3-pointer for a 55-45 lead before a Ripon 3-point play. Brown scored four points in a row and Thomas hit a 3-pointer to answer a Red Hawks three. The visitors cut the lead to 66-62 with a 6-0 run before Maring scored in the post with 2:40 to play. Whiteman put the Scots up 70-62 with a floater but the Red Hawks hit a 3-pointer with 1:39 to play. Taylor hit a jumper and added two free throws before Ripon hit a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left. The Red Hawks scored again and Taylor and Huber hit their free throws for a 78-72 lead. The Red Hawks hit another desperation 3-pointer but three free throws by Thomas finished off the 81-75 win.
Brown led the way with 15 points while Maring, Taylor and Thomas all scored 14 and Whiteman added 10. Brown grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and Thomas added five. Taylor delivered six assists and Banks provided two. Thomas blocked three shots and Taylor had two steals.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Brown has scored in double digits in every game he has played this season and in 24 straight games dating back to last season ... That is the sixth-longest double-digit scoring streak in Monmouth history ... Thomas has scored at least 11 points in eight straight games and he has 12 double digit games this season ... Maring has scored in double digits 10 times this season ... Taylor has scored in double figures 10 times this season and 48 times in his career ... Taylor played in his 91st career game, tied with five others for the seventh most games played in Monmouth history ... Taylor was 7-for-8 at the line and he tied Will Carius for eighth in Monmouth history with 243 made free throws and he is also the ninth player in MC history with at least 300 attempts ... Taylor is now alone in third with 129 career steals ... Whiteman scored a career-high 10 points ... The senior class is the first since 1995 to win at least 10 games in four straight years and a total of 57 games in four years ... The 57 wins is tied for 18th amongst all senior classes in MC historyMonmouth is 65-74 all-time against Ripon with a 14-12 mark under coach Skrivseth ... The Scots won both games last year, including an overtime win at home, and they have won five of the last six meetings ... The teams play in Wisconsin on Saturday, Feb. 7 ... Monmouth is at Beloit on Saturday at 1 p.m ... The next home game is on Tuesday against Grinnell at 5:30 p.m.
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Nathan Baliva 309-457-2322 nbaliva@monmouthcollege.eduShare this Story
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