Harlan Scores 25 as Scots Beat Beloit on Saturday

Senior scored 19 points in third quarter

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/07/2023) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team used a big third quarter to blow out Beloit College 84-58 on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Scots have won two straight conference home games to start January and are now 7-7 overall, 3-2 in MWC play.

Beloit jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and Zoie Wall (Bartonville, Illinois) scored for the Scots. Monmouth scored six straight to take an 8-6 lead as Tarae Warner (Burlington, Iowa), Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) and Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) all scored in the run. The teams traded free throws, with Lily Harlan (Washington, Illinois) making both for Monmouth. Wall scored for a 14-11 lead and after Beloit scored, she drained a 3-pointer from the left wing. Law scored on a putback for a 19-13 lead as the quarter came to an end.

Jones made a pair of free throws on Monmouth's first possession of the second quarter for a 22-13 Scots lead. Jones scored the next three points for the Scots with a free throw on one possession and a layup on the next. Harlan put the Scots up 26-17 with a mid-range jumper and after Beloit scored, Wall got a steal and a layup. The Buccaneers scored four in a row to cut the lead to 28-24 before Law made a free throw. The pace slowed down and both teams made free throws with the Scots leading 30-26, Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) scored the final basket of the half.

Harlan scored the first four points of the second half and Warner scored for a 38-26 Monmouth lead. Beloit went on a 4-0 run but Warner got a layup for a 42-32 lead and Harlan added a bucket in the paint. Madison Heisch (Illinois City, Illinois) scored and Harlan followed with a 3-point play for a 49-32 lead. Harlan hit a 3-pointer for a 12-0 run and a 20-point lead before Beloit scored with 2:40 left in the quarter. Harlan scored the next five for the Scots, pushing the lead to 59-34 before the Buccaneers scored. Harlan capped a 19-point quarter with a pair of free throws as Monmouth scored 29 in the period to lead 61-38.

Wall made a free throw and Law scored to push the Scots lead to 64-38. Beloit went on a 9-2 run to get it back under 20 before Hoy scored in the lane. Beloit got a bucket before Warner's 3-pointer put the Scots back up 23 with under 4:00 to play. Warner scored the next four points as the Scots pushed the lead to 76-53. Beloit knocked down four free throws to cut the lead to 78-57 as the Scots went to the bench for the final two minutes of action. Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) made a free throw and Biancha Luna (Monmouth, Illinois) made a long 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) made it 84-57 before Beloit made a free throw with 0.2 seconds left.

Harlan led the Scots with a career-high 25 points, 19 in the third quarter. Warner had 16 points while Wall had 10 and Jones finished with nine. Wall and Harlan both had eight rebounds while Wall also had eight assists.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: With 29 points in the third quarter, the Scots had the seventh-best quarter in school history. The record for points in a quarter is 32, done multiple times, including last season at Illinois College. Harlan's previous career high in scoring was 24 points against Lake Forest on Nov. 29. The Scots are 15-5 against Beloit in the last 20 games played, 8-2 in the last 10 and 37-23 all-time. Monmouth has won the last six at home against Beloit, dating back to a loss on Feb, 13, 2016. The Scots are next in action at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Grinnell.