Scots Rally Past Beloit for First MWC WIn

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/10/2026) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team erased a 12-point deficit to win 62-61 at Beloit on Saturday. The Fighting Scots (5-10, 1-5) picked up their first Midwest Conference win with the victory over the Buccaneers (4-10, 1-4)

Beloit scored first before Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) tied the game with free throws. The Bucs scored the next seven and overall had a 13-2 run with Monmouth's bucket coming from Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana), Hannah Peel (Gladwin, Michigan) and Ava Borchardt (Harvard, Illinois) scored before the quarter ended with Beloit up 18-8.

Borchardt and Peel both scored again to start the second quarter and Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer to pull the score within six. Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois), Stearns and Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) each scored during a 9-3 Monmouth run. Stearns scored again and Borchardt hit a jumper with 1:00 left in the half. Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) made a free throw with five seconds left and Monmouth trailed 36-27 at the break.

Rangel hit a 3-pointer to get the Scots scoring started in the second half before Riggs scored three points and Peel hit a 3-pointer. Up two, Beloit went on a 5-0 run before Rice scored five in a row. Beloit finished the quarter with a layup to lead 45-41.

Down six, Rangel scored early in the fourth quarter but Beloit scored again to lead 50-43. Cox and Riggs both scored and Peel tied the game at 50 with 5:24 to play, Beloit hit a 3-pointer but Riggs made a jumper before tying the game on the next possession with a free throw. Beloit went on top 57-53 and Cox hit a jumper with 2:36 left. With Beloit up three, Stearns made a layup with 1:15 to play and the Buccaneers turned the ball over. Riggs scored on a putback to give the Scots a 59-68 lead with 36 seconds left. Beloit turned it over again and Stearns split free throws for a 60-48 lead. After a Beloit miss, Peel made two free throws with 12 seconds left for a 62-58 lead. Beloit hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left but Monmouth ran out the clock after a free throw miss to win by one.

Peel and Riggs led the Scots with 12 points each and Stearns added nine. Cox had 13 rebounds while Peel added seven and Riggs had six. Stearns and Rangel both had three assists while Walker had three steals.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Peel's 12 points are her most in a Monmouth uniform ... Borchardt had a career-high six points as did RiceMonmouth had 15 offensive rebounds and outscored Beloit 34-28 in the paint ... The Scots led for just 36 seconds all game and the game had only one lead change ... Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) made her 90th consecutive appearance and is now tied for 16th in games played in Monmouth history ... Rangel moved into a tie with Jadyn Mitchell for 13th in career 3-pointers made with 68 ... Monmouth leads the all-time series 39-26 with a 10-5 mark in the last 15 games ... The home team won both games last year ... Monmouth had lost three straight at Beloit dating back to a win on Jan. 24, 2022 ... The teams meet again in Monmouth on Saturday, Jan. 31 ... The Scots host Grinnell on Tuesday.