Metcalf, Ewald Combine for 51 Points in Loss to Grinnell

Scots keep it close on Sunday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/06/2022) — The Monmouth College men's basketball team kept it close throughout but ultimately lost at home to Grinnell College 101-91 on Sunday. The Scots (3-16, 2-9) lost at Grinnell by 52 on Saturday and were within single digits late on Sunday before the Pioneers pulled away.

The Scots matched Grinnell with baskets early and the game was tied 16-16. After Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) scored to get the Scots within two at 26-24, Grinnell went on an 8-0 run to force a Monmouth timeout.

Monmouth got two straight buckets out of the timeout, with Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) scoring. Grinnell hit another 3-pointer and led 39-28 when Will Ewald (Lincoln, Illinois) scored in the lane. After Joseph Oradiegwu (RIchmond, Texas) made a layup, neither team scored for over two minutes with Grinnell leading by nine.

Grinnell got a couple more 3's to fall and went into the locker room with a 56-41 halftime lead. Ewald led the Scots with 14 points in the first half while Brasfield had nine and Metcalf six.

Early in the second half, Ewald hit the Scots first 3-pointer of the game and added another bucket. The Scots made it a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 65-52 as Metcalf scored. Jonathan Oradiegwu (Richmond, Texas) hit a corner 3-pointer after a Pioneers bucket and they trailed by 12 with 14:30 to play.

Metcalf scored to cut the deficit to 10 and the teams traded baskets over a couple sloppy minutes of play. Grinnell hit a 3-pointer to go back up 15 with 10:47 to play. The game slowed down with both teams in the bonus and the Scots got a 5-0 run from Ewald and Metcalf to get the score to 87-73 with 7:03 to play.

Metcalf had a dunk and Brasfield made a pair of free throws to cut the Grinnell lead to 89-77. A 3-point play from Jonathan Oradiegwu got the Scots within 11. Grinnell split free throws and Metcalf scored to make it a 10-point game.

Jonathan Oradiegwu had a putback of a Brasfield miss and Ganon Greenman (Alpha, Illinois) buried a corner 3-pointer to get the Scots within seven as the Pioneers called timeout. The Pioneers scored and Metcalf answered before the visitors hit a pair of free throws. Metcalf scored again with 42.8 seconds left to make it 98-91 and the Pioneers again hit two free throws.

The Scots missed a shot on the next possession and Grinnell made free throws to go on top 101-91 with 21 seconds left. Neither team scored the rest of the way as Grinnell secured the win.

Metcalf led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds for another double-double. Ewald posted a career-high 24 points while Brasfield had 11 points with five assists. Jonathan Oradiegwu had an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double and also added five assists.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Scots had won nine of 10 against Grinnell before SaturdayThe last Grinnell win at Glennie Gym was on February 4, 2015Ewald scored a career-high 24 points, eight more than he had Tuesday at Illinois CollegeMetcalf posted his eighth double-double of the season and fourth in the last five gamesHe also had four of the Scots seven blocksMonmouth was 17-of-20 from the free throw line and 4-of-9 from 3-point rangeMonmouth outrebounded Grinnell 38-34, holding the Pioneers 15 rebounds below their average...The Scots play at Knox on Wednesday with a 5:30 p.m. tip.