Jones, Rangel Net Career Highs as Scots Beat Mount Mary

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (11/21/2024) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team nearly led wire-to-wire in a 77-51 home win over Mount Mary on Wednesday night. The Fighting Scots (2-2) led by as many as 35 and only trailed by one point for 51 seconds in the win.

The Scots got on the board through Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) and Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) added a free throw. With Mount Mary leading 4-3, Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) drilled a 3-pointer and Jones made a layup. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer on the wing and Olivia Dinges (Amboy, Illinois) scored in the paint for a 13-8 lead. Jones drilled a 3-pointer and Stearns scored again as the Scots took an 18-13 lead. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) came off the bench and immediately scored four points for a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Jones pushed the Monmouth run to 8-0 with a layup before the Blue Angels hit a 3-pointer. Jones scored again at the basket and her free-throw line jumper gave the Scots a 28-19 lead. Rangel buried a 3-pointer and Mount Mary called timeout trailing by 12. Stearns hit another 3-pointer and Madi FInch (Aledo, Illinois) made a layup. Stearns scored again for a 12-0 run as the Scots doubled up the Blue Angels 38-19. The visitors made a 3-pointer before Cox and Rangel scored to give the Scots a 42-22 halftime lead.

Rangel hit two 3-pointers early in the third quarter as Monmouth built the lead to 50-24. Stearns and Jones scored again for a 30-point lead and Lauren Millhiser (Des Plaines, Illinois) scored in the lane as well. Jones scored her 18th point of the game and Millhiser hit a 3-pointer for a 63-28 lead. The Blue Angels went on an 8-0 run before Delaney Scheidenhelm (New Berlin, Illinois) scored at the rim for a 65-36 lead after three quarters.

Millhiser scored Monmouth's first basket of the fourth quarter and Rangel restored the 30-point lead at 69-39. Cox and Millhiser scored baskets to answer points by the Blue Angels. Millhiser scored again for a 75-46 lead with 4:02 to play. Ava Borchardt (Harvard, Illinois) scored Monmouth's final points with 54 seconds left for a 77-48 lead before Mount Mary hit a 3-pointer for the final score.

Jones led the Scots with 20 points while Rangel had 16, Stearns had 12 and Millhiser had nine. Goodrich had eight rebounds and Jones added five. Jones also led the team with four assists and two steals. Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) had two blocks.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Jones scored a career-high 20 points, three better than she had against Lawrence on Jan. 2, 2023 ... Rangel set a career-highs with 16 points and tied a career high of four 3-pointers made against Grinnell on Jan. 17, 20 ... Millhiser set a new career high with nine points ... Jones has scored in double figures in three of the four games this season ... Stearns has at least nine points in three games this season and 12 or more twice ... Monmouth did not commit a turnover in the first quarter and had just two in the first half ... The Scots were 1-of-2 at the line and the game featured only five free throws ... Monmouth scored their most points in a game since beating Beloit 84-58 on Jan. 7, 2023 ... The Scots have outrebounded their opponent in three straight games ... The Scots won the battle of the boards 44-21 with 14 offensive rebounds ... Monmouth shot 50% or better in each of the first three quarters ... All 13 players got into the game and ten players scored for Monmouth ... The Scots are 2-0 all-time against the Blue Angels with a 56-46 win last year in Wisconsin ,,, The Scots are off until next Tuesday when they travel to Augustana ... The next home game is the MWC opener against Lake Forest at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 3.