Scots Put Five in Double Figures to Beat Eureka

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (12/17/2023) — The Monmouth College men's basketball team put five players in double figures and ran away from Eureka College for an 83-68 win on Saturday night. The Scots (5-5) used a 7-0 run to start the second half after tying the game in the final possession of the first half.

Eureka jumped out to a 4-0 lead and made it 7-2 with a 3-pointer after Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) scored for the Scots. Turner Plumer (Canton, Illinois) and Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois) scored in the lane but the Red Devils pushed the lead to 15-6. Max Maring (Port Byron, Illinois) scored in the lane and Hill converted a 3-point play for a 5-0 Monmouth run. Plumer scored at the rim and Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) made a layup but Eureka maintained their 8-point lead. Flynn scored seven straight for the Scots and Taylor made two layups. Eureka took a 30-24 lead and after a Monmouth timeout, Maring converted a 3-point play. Taylor tied the game at 30 with a long 3-pointer and the Red Devils missed two shots on the final possession of the half.

Plumer gave Monmouth their first lead of the game to start the second half with a bucket in the lane. He scored on the next possession and Taylor drilled another long 3-pointer for a 37-30 Monmouth lead. Hill hit a 3-pointer and Ganon Greenman (Alpha, Illinois) had a puthack for a 42-34 Monmouth lead. Plumer and Greenman scored again in the paint and Greenman made two free throws for a 48-39 lead. Hill scored four straight for the Scots and Maring scored in the lane. Taylor hit another 3-pointer for a 57-45 lead with 9:10 to play and Maring followed with a 3-pointer. After the Red Devils made two shots, Brennen McNally (Paw Paw, Illinois) restored the lead to 12 with a layup. Taylor made his fourth 3-pointer of the game and Ryne Schimmel (Moline, Illinois) made a layup for a 15-point lead. The Red Devils got a 3-point play but Flynn answered with a 3-point play for a 72-57 lead with 3:20 left. Taylor hit another 3-pointer for a 75-59 lead and Hill added a free throw, Hill's 3-point play with just over one minute to play gave the Scots a 78-62 lead. Plumer put an exclamation mark on the game with a dunk in the final 30 seconds for an 81-64 lead and Flynn scored the final Monmouth points in an 83-66 win.

Taylor led the way with 21 points while Hill scored 16, Plumer had 14, Flynn had 12 and Maring posted a career-high 10 points. Hill led the Scots with eight rebounds while Plumer had six assists and Taylor added five assists.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The home team has won the last six matchups dating back to a Monmouth win on the road in November 2018Eureka won at home 63-56 in the season opener on Nov. 10Eureka last won in Monmouth in the 2017-18 seasonMonmouth put five players in double figures for the first time this seasonTaylor has been in double figures eight of the last nine gamesHe has scored 20 or more in four games this season including three of the last fourHill has scored 10 or more points five times this season while Plumer has hit double digits four timesFlynn has scored 10 or more three times, including two in a rowMaring scored a career-high 10 points...Hill tied a career-high with eight rebounds and Plumer had a career-high six assists Monmouth was 9-of-10 at the free throw lineThe Fighting Scots play on Tuesday at Westminster College with a 6 p.m. start.