Scots Fall at Dominican on Tuesday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (12/31/2025) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team ended non-conference play with a 60-44 road loss to Dominican on Tuesday. The Fighting Scots (4-8) put two players in double figures but couldn't secure a season sweep of the Stars.

Moving into the starting lineup after a double-double on Monday, senior Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) scored Monmouth's first four points. Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer for a 7-4 lead and Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) made two free throws. The Stars scored the next 11 points to lead 15-9 before Ava Pelaez (Aurora, Colorado) made two free throws. Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) scored on a layup and Cox tied the game before the Stars made a free throw to end the quarter.

Down 23-15, Cox scored in the paint and Stearns made a layup. Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) scored the final four Monmouth points of the half but the Stars led 32-23 at the break.

Stearns and Riggs combined for the first four points of the second half but Dominican answered to go back up by 11. Cox made two free throws and Stearns scored in the paint for a 38-31 game halfway through the quarter. Riggs scored again and Cox pulled the Scots within six on a putback with 44 seconds left in the frame. Dominican scored and forced a turnover for another bucket as they took a 46-37 lead into the final period.

Two weeks ago at home the Scots shut the Stars down in the fourth and rallied for a 71-59 win. Tuesday's final quarter didn't have the same magic as Dominican scored the first eight points to lead 54-37. Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) made a free throw but the Scots went more than seven minutes without a basket until Cox scored four straight points for a 58-42 game. Riggs scored with 1:27 left for the final score of 60-44.

Cox led the Scots with 16 points while Riggs posted an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Cox added seven rebounds while Stearns had eight points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Rangel and Walker also added two steals each.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Stearns played all 40 minutesRiggs had a career-high 11 rebounds and played a career-high 34 minutes for her first college double-doubleShe has scored in double digits in two straight gamesCox has also scored in double digits in two straight and she has netted at least eight points in four straight gamesStearns has scored at least eight points in four straight and nine times overallShe also has at least three steals in five games this season Rangel moved into 15th with 65 made career 3-pointersThe Scots are 5-2 all-time against Dominican and had won four straight dating back to a loss in the 2009-10 seasonThe Scots play Saturday afternoon at Cornell in MWC action and the next home game is Jan. 7 against Ripon.