Harlan Nets 24 But Scots Fall at Knox

Monmouth will host Knox Feb. 8

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/28/2023) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team dropped a close contest against Knox College on Saturday with a 57-53 setback. The Fighting Scots (9-11, 5-6) tied the game four times but never led in the first of two meetings between the rivals in a two-week span.

Knox jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) got the Scots on the board. Knox went up 10-2 and Zoie Wall (Bartonville, Illinois) ended the run with a basket. Lily Harlan (Washington, Illinois) made a pair of free throws to cut the Knox lead to 12-6 before the hosts went on a 5-2 run that Harlan ended with a basket. Jones scored and Harlan hit a 3-pointer as Monmouth trailed 17-15 after the first quarter.

Harlan scored the first basket of the second quarter to tie the game. Knox went up 21-17 but the Scots answered with a Harlan basket and two free throws from Audrey Law (Bloomington, Indiana). The Prairie Fire scored the next six as Monmouth went over five minutes without scoring. Wall ended the drought with a basket on the final possession of the half as Monmouth trailed 27-23 at the break.

Jones and Wall scored early in the third quarter to tie the game at 27. Knox went on a 6-0 run before Law hit a 3-pointer and Harlan made two more free throws to narrow the gap to 35-32. Tarae Warner (Burlington, Iowa) scored but Knox responded with a 5-0 run to go on top 40-34.

Down 41-34 early in the fourth, the Scots got a 3-pointer from Harlan but Knox responded with a basket. Madison Heisch (Illinois City, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) hit a jumper as the Scots pulled within four. Harlan's 3-pointer with 5:36 to play cut the Knox lead to 48-45. Two minutes went by and neither team had scored before Jones tied the game with a 3-pointer. Knox made two free throws with 2:06 left to go up 50-48 and they added another free throw on the next possession. Harlan made two free throws with 1:21 left and the Scots got a stop on defense, calling timeout with 50 seconds left. Monmouth turned the ball over and Knox made two free throws for a 53-50 lead with 24.8 seconds to play. The Scots missed on their next possession and two more Knox free throws made the score 55-50 with 15.7 seconds left. Harlan was fouled shooting a 3-pointer and made all three free throws with 12.9 seconds left to make it a 55-53 game. Knox split free throws but got the rebound and went back to the line. They again split free throws and the Scots called timeout with 7.4 seconds left, down 57-53. The Scots missed a 3-pointer and Knox secured the game with a rebound.

Harlan led the Scots with 24 points as she made 9-of-9 at the free throw line. Jones had eight points, Law had seven and Wall had six. Law and Wall both had seven rebounds while Harlan and Jones had six each. Wall had three assists while Warner had three steals.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Last season the Scots took two of three against Knox with both teams winning on the road in the regular season and Monmouth beat the Prairie Fire in the MWC Tournament semifinals. The Scots are 62-39 all-time against Knox but the Prairie Fire are 6-4 in the last 10. Harlan has gone for 10 points or more in seven of the last eight. This was her fourth game of scoring 24 or more points on the season. The Scots return home for a three-game homestand that begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against Illinois College.