Mitchell, Jones in Double Figures but Scots Fall to Foresters

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/24/2024) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team dropped a Midwest Conference game at home to Lake Forest Tuesday night, 76-58. The Scots will host rival Knox on Saturday.

Lake Forest scored first before Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) made a 3-pointer. Danielle Beach (Geneseo, Illinois) scored and Jadyn Mitchell netted five points in a row for a 10-2 Monmouth lead. Jones scored again before the Foresters ended the 12-0 run. Monmouth answered with baskets from Olivia Dinges (Amboy, Illinois) and a Mitchell 3-pointer for a 17-5 lead. Lake Forest ended the quarter on a 6-0 run.

The teams traded free throws before Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) scored in the paint for a 21-13 Monmouth lead. Beach put the Scots up seven but the visitors went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead at 26-25. Madison Heisch (Illinois City, Illinois) put the Scots back up by one with two free throws and neither team scored in the last minute of the half.

Lake Forest regained the lead on their first possession of the half and Goodrich made a 3-pointer for a 32-30 Monmouth advantage. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) made a 3-pointer and the teams traded baskets before Jones knocked down a pair of free throws. Lake Forest went on a 9-0 run to lead 45-39 before Mitchell made two free throws With the Scots down nine, Heisch hit a 3-pointer but the Foresters answered to lead 54-44. Goodrich scored in the lane but LFC hit two straight 3-pointers to lead 60-46 at the end of the quarter.

Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) scored Monmouth's first points of the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer. Beach made two free throws to cut the LFC lead to 62-51. Delaney Scheidenhelm (New Berlin, Illinois) scored three straight points to get the game back in single digits and Mitchell made a free throw. Lake Forest pushed the lead to 71-56 at the two minute mark. Rangel knocked down a pair of free throws and forced a turnover. Lake Forest scored the final five points of the game for a 76-58 win.

Mitchell led the Scots with 13 points and Jones added 11. Rangel had a team-high seven rebounds, one more than Beach. Goodrich and Mitchell both had three assists.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Mitchell has scored in double figures eight times this season and 18 times in her Monmouth careerShe was 2-for-4 from 3-point range and is 11-for-19 the last three games. Mitchell moved into 16th on Monmouth's career 3-pointers made list with 61. Jones has scored 10 or more 10 times this season and 14 times overall. Beach had two steals. Lake Forest won the first matchup at home 59-57 on Nov. 28. Monmouth is 5-5 in the last 10 against the Foresters, including a 3-2 record at home. The Scots are home again on Saturday against Knox with tipoff scheduled 25 minutes after the 1 p.m. men's game between the rivals.