Scots' Women Clip Red Hawks, Earn Trip to the Big Dance

Monmouth, IL (03/01/2020) — Feb. 29 - women's basketball - Midwest Conference Championship Tournament title game at Ripon, Wis. - Monmouth College at Ripon College

MC 74
RC 79

Box Score https://monmouthscots.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wbball&id=5922

For just the second time in program history, the Monmouth College women's basketball team will be heading to the NCAA Tournament, and this time with a program-record 21 wins.

The Fighting Scots hit their free throws down the stretch, sinking all six in the final seconds, to knock off regular season champion Ripon 74-69 on the Red Hawks' home court.

Ripon had jumped out to a 19-12 first quarter lead before the Scots roared back in the second period to close the gap to 28-27. Monmouth held the Red Hawks to just three points in the final 6:29 of the first half and then opened the second half with a 13-6 run to pull out to a 40-34 lead. The Red Hawks scratched back and by the end of the third quarter, Ripon had regained a 47-46 lead.

Monmouth, which shot just 9-of-17 from the free throw line in Friday's semifinals, canned 15 of their 16 fourth quarter free throws to regain the advantage after trailing for much of the final 10 minutes. Trailing 68-67 with 41 seconds left, the Red Hawks pulled ahead 69-68 on a bucket inside, but then fouled the Scots on the ensuing Monmouth possession with 19 seconds left. Carley Turnbull then sank both free throws for a one-point lead and two more on Monmouth's next possession to go up 72-69. Becca Gallis then iced the game with a pair of throws with one second left.

Turnbull finished with a game-high 22 points and Gallis added 18 thanks to an 11-for-12 effort from the line. Shayne Smith came off the bench to add a dozen.

The Scots will learn their first round opponent when the brackets are announced at 1:30 Central Time on NCAA.com.

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