Hill Scores 34, Plumer's Basket Leads Scots to 2OT Win

Monmouth puts four in double figures to beat Aurora

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (12/30/2023) — Turner Plumer (Canton, Illinois), put the Monmouth College men's basketball team up for good on Saturday with a basket at the rim with 10.8 seconds left in double overtime as the Scots held on for an 81-80 win over Aurora University. Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) led the Scots with a career-high 34 points in the back-and-forth affair.

Hill scored the first five points of the game and Plumer's first field goal put Monmouth on top 7-5. A scoring drought gave the Spartans an 8-0 run and a 13-7 lead before Max Maring (Port Byron, Illinois) knocked down a free throw. Ganon Greenman (Alpha, Illinois) capped a 7-0 run for a 14-13 Monmouth lead before the Spartans went back on top. The first half saw six lead changes and the visitors pushed the lead to 23-16 with 5:56 left. Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) scored in the lane, as did Hill. Plumer made two free throws and a bucket by Taylor finished off an 8-0 run for a 24-23 Scots lead. After Aurora scored again, Hill put Monmouth on top 26-25 and neither team scored for the final 2:31 of the half.

Hill scored the first basket of the second half and the teams traded the lead five times in the first five minutes. Brennen McNally (Paw Paw, Illinois) put the Scots up 40-39 with a basket and Maring extended the lead with a putback. Plumer's dunk gave Monmouth a 50-45 lead with 6:25 to play but the Spartans answered with a 3-pointer and a 3-point play to go on top 51-50. Both teams scored on their next two possessions as the lead kept changing hands. Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) got a steal, lay-up and made his free throw for a 3-point play for a 57-53 lead with 1:35 to play. Aurora scored quickly and both teams missed their next shot. The Spartans fouled Greenman with 34 seconds left and the junior split free throws for a 58-55 lead. McNally rebounded the missed free throw and got the ball to Hill, who was fouled. Hill made both and the Scots led 60-55. Aurora knocked down another 3-pointer with 19.8 seconds left and this time Hill split free throws for a 61-58 lead. The Spartans tied the game with a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left and the Scots couldn't get a shot off on the final possession.

Hill started the overtime with a basket but Aurora answered. Taylor hit a 3-pointer, his first of the game, for a 66-63 lead but again, the Spartans countered. Hill put the Scots on top 70-68 with a basket and then 73-70 with a 3-pointer. Aurora tied the game with 48 seconds left with another 3-pointer and both teams missed 3-pointers on their final possession of overtime.

Neither team scored for the first 1:43 of the second overtime until Taylor made two free throws. After forcing a turnover, Hill scored for a 77-73 Monmouth lead but the Spartans drilled another 3-pointer. On their next possession, Aurora made two free throws for a 78-77 lead with 1:35 to play. Hill missed a shot and Aurora made two more free throws with 1:02 left. Down three, the Scots called timeout and Hill scored on a driving layup. Monmouth forced an Aurora timeout with 24 seconds left and then caused a turnover on the inbounds pass before calling their own timeout with 21.7 seconds left. Taylor found Plumer cutting through the lane for a wide open basket with 10.8 seconds left. McNally blocked Aurora's go-ahead attempt and the Spartans got the ball back with 0.3 seconds left on a loose-ball rebound tie up. They were unable to get a shot off in time as the Scots held on for the win.

Hill led the Scots with a career-high 34 points while Taylor added 13. Both Maring and Plumer had 10 points. Taylor had a career-high 10 rebounds and Flynn added eight. Taylor led the Scots with four assists while he and Jason Huber (Carpentersville, Illinois) both had three steals.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Hill's 34 points are the most by a Monmouth player since Will Carius had 38 against Grinnell on Dec. 4, 2019. The last time a Monmouth player scored 30 points in a game was Nov. 30, 2021 when Jon Oradiegwu had 30 at Lake Forest. Hill has scored 10 or more points six times this season including four straight. He has topped 20 points in three of the last four games. Plumer has hit double digits five times. Taylor had a career-high 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double. Taylor has been in double figures in nine of the last 10 games. Maring scored 10 points and grabbed five boards in just 13 minutes of action. Maring tied his career-high in scoring as he also had 10 points on Dec. 16 against Eureka. Aurora was 12-of-30 from 3-point range while the Scots were just 3-of-23. Monmouth forced 19 turnovers and committed just six. Both teams were 18-of-24 at the line. The last double OT game was a win at Knox on Feb. 6, 2013. The all-time series is tied 12-12. Aurora won at home 76-64 last December in the first game between the two programs since the 2005-06 season. The Fighting Scots return to Midwest Conference action on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at home against Lawrence with a 4 p.m. tip.