Scots Rally Late but Fall at Beloit on Saturday

Monmouth's five game-win streak ends in Wisconsin

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (12/04/2022) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team lost their first Midwest Conference road game of the season on Saturday with a 63-57 setback at Beloit College. The loss ends the Scots (5-3, 1-1) five game win streak.

Beloit jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Tarae Warner (Burlington, Iowa) made two free throws 2:13 into the game. Beloit pushed the lead to 14-4 before Ashley Jones (Abingdon, Illinois) made a layup. Warner and Audrey Law (Bloomington, Indiana ) scored in the quarter as well but Beloit hit a 3-point shot to take a 19-10 lead at the end of the quarter.

The lead went back to 11 early in the second quarter before Zoie Wall (Bartonville, Illinois) made four free throws. Warner's layup cut the deficit to five and Wall's layup made it 25-22 with 2:49 left in the half. The teams traded baskets before Beloit scored four straight to take a 33-24 lead into the locker room.

Jadyn Mitchell (Flanagan, Illinois) and Lily Harlan (Washington, Illinois) both got on the board early in the third quarter. A 3-pointer from Mitchell cut the Beloit lead to four and after the hosts scored, Harlan hit a 3-pointer to make it 39-36. Beloit scored the next six points to push the lead back to nine. Monmouth chipped away and finally caught up at 47-47 for the first tie of the game.

Neither team scored the rest of the third quarter and Monmouth took their first lead early in the fourth on a basket by Harlan. Another basket by Harlan put the Scots up four before Beloit tied the game at 51. The game was tied at 53 when Beloit hit a 3-pointer and Monmouth answered with a layup from Mitchell. Beloit went up 58-55 and the Scots missed a game-tying 3-pointer. Beloit led 60-55 before Harland made two free throws. The Buccaneers missed two free throws with 20 seconds left but got the rebound and Monmouth fouled again. This time Beloit made one free throw, then got a steal and a layup for the 63-57 final score.

Mitchell led the Scots with 14 points while Warner and Harlan both had 13 and Wall had eight. Wall and Warner grabbed nine rebounds each, one more than Harlan. Warner and Wall had four assists each while Warner had two steals and Wall had two blocks.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Scots swept Beloit last year, winning 66-56 on the road and 84-40 at home. Monmouth had won eight in a row against the Buccaneers including four in a row on the road since losing Jan. 28, 2017. Mitchell made two 3-pointers and is 13-for-18 in the last six games from deep. Warner has at least 11 points in every game this season. Warner leads the team with 15 steals. Eight of the nine Monmouth players who played on Saturday made a field goal. The Scots were 4-of-10 from 3-point range and 15-of-18 from the free throw line. Beloit scored 33 points off 32 Monmouth turnovers. The Scots have one more game before finals as they travel to play at Illinois College at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.