Morgan Scores Career-High 18 as Scots Win by 40

Monmouth Now 3-1 on Season

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (11/20/2021) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team won their third straight home game with a dominating 74-34 victory over Illinois Tech on Saturday. The Scots used one of the best quarters in school history to sprint out to a 25-point lead and never looked back as they improved to 3-1 on the season.

Josie Morgan (Washington, Illinois) scored the first eight points of the game with a layup, 3-pointer and a 3-point play. Illinois Tech got on the board before Morgan scored again for a 10-2 lead. The Scots forced seven turnovers in the first quarter and held the Scarlet Hawks to 2-of-15 shooting. Monmouth meanwhile had six different players score in the first quarter and they were 11-of-22 from the field in the first 10 minutes. Kaitlyn Osmulski (Peoria, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key on the final possession of the quarter for a 30-5 Monmouth lead.

Morgan hit another 3-pointer early in the second quarter and Lily Harlan (Washington, Illinois) buried a mid-range jumper for a 37-6 lead. Illinois Tech scored four in a row but the Scots kept extending the lead throughout the second quarter. Osmulski scored eight points in the quarter while Morgan had five. Monmouth went into the locker room on top 51-18 with both Morgan (16) and Osmulski (13) in double figures. The Scots scored 17 points off 14 Illinois Tech turnovers in the first half while also scoring 17 second-chance points.

The Monmouth defense clamped down again in the third quarter, holding Illinois Tech without a field goal for the first 6:20. Morgan surpassed her career high in scoring with two free throws to put the Scots on top 58-19. Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Illinois) buried a corner 3-pointer to end the quarter with the Scots on top 61-23.

Jordan Kintigh (Goshen, Indiana) scored on the first possession of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 40. Anna Caster (Greenfield, Indiana) scored off the bench to push the lead to 43 before the Scarlet Hawks hit a couple of late baskets. Caster made a free throw in the final five seconds to put the final score at 74-34.

Morgan finished with 18 points while Osmulski had 16. Harlan, Mitchell and Tarae Warner (Burlington, Iowa) each finished with nine points. Kintigh led the Scots with 10 rebounds while Zoie Wall (Peoria, Illinois) grabbed nine and Osmulski had eight.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Morgan set a new career high with nine assists, surpassing her previous high of five, accomplished multiple times...Wall also set a new career high with four assists...Mitchell had four assists and three steals...Kintigh posted her third straight double-digit rebound game with a team-high 10...The 30 points in the first quarter is tied for the third-best quarter in school historyMonmouth scored 32 points in a quarter twice in the 2019-20 season, most recently on Jan. 21, 2020 against Illinois College...The five points allowed in the first and third quarters are tied for the second-best defensive quarter for the Scots with the record being four points allowed...The Scots went on a 20-0 run in the first quarterThe 40-point win is the largest for the Scots since a 49-point win over Central Christian College of Bible on Nov. 8, 2019...The 34 points is the least allowed by the Scots since Beloit scored 32 on Jan. 12, 2019...The Scots are next in action on Nov. 27 at Westminster College (Mo). and the next home game is Saturday, Dec. 4 against Beloit College in the MWC home opener.