Stearns Scores Career-High 22 Points but Scots Fall

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (12/18/2025) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team led early but couldn't hold on in a 82-70 home loss to Benedictine on Wednesday.. The Fighting Scots (3-7) will play three games on the road before the next home game on January 7. .

Monmouth got off to a great start as Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) scored twice in the post and Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer for a 7-0 lead. Stearns hit another 3-pointer for a 10-3 lead and Ella Goodrich (Minonk, Illinois) made two free throws. Stearns and Goorich both scored again and Ava Pelaez (Aurora, Colorado) put the Scots on top 18-8 with a fast break layup. The Eagles pulled within three but Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) scored in the paint and Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) knocked down a 3-pointer for a 23-17 lead. Pelaez made a 3-pointer and Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) scored for a 28-17 lead as Monmouth made 11 of their first 14 shots.

Goodrich kept the Scots up 11 with a basket early in the second quarter but Monmouth went the final 8:46 of the quarter without a field goal. Stearns made two free throws for a 34-24 lead before Benedictine went on a 14-0 run. Pelaez ended the run as she split free throws with 17 seconds left in the quarter for a 38-35 Benedictine lead at the half.

Rangel and Stearns combined to score the first seven Monmouth points of the second half as the Scots took a 42-39 lead. Benedictine scored the next nine points before Goodrich made two free throws. Down 55-44, Stearns made a layup but the Eagles ended the quarter with a 59-46 lead.

Rangel hit a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter and Stearns scored to pull the Scots within eight. The Eagles went back up by double digits and pushed the advantage to 14 with 2:23 to play. They finished the scoring with a 3-pointer to win 82-70.

Sellers led the Scots with 22 points and six assists while Rangel had 12 points on four 3-pointers. Goodrich scored 11 points and had a team-leading nine rebounds before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. Cox scored nine points and Riggs grabbed six rebounds.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Monmouth's first quarter output of 28 points was their best quarter so far this season ...The previous high was 24 in the third quarter on Sunday against Dominican and the best first quarter was 19 points at Blackburn ... After shooting 61.1% in the first quarter, Monmouth shot 7.7% in the second quarter ... With two steals, Goodrich now has 100 career steals ... With six assists, Stearns went over the 100 assist mark for her career ... Stearns set a new career-high with 22 points ... Rangel hit a season-high four 3-pointers, tying her career best from last year ... Goodrich moved into a tie for 15th on the career free throws attempted list with 270 ...Rangel moved past Katie Sheets and Kaley Corban into 16th on the 3-pointers made list ... She also moved past Josie Morgan for 11th most 3-pointers attempted ... Stearns is the 23rd player in Monmouth history with at least 50 made 3-pointers and she moved into a tie for 17th on the attempts list ... Monmouth is 2-5 all-time against Benedictine, including a 74-62 loss on the road last year ... The Scots are next in action at Eureka on Dec. 29 and the next home game is Jan. 7 against Grinnell.

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Monmouth College

Stearns Scores Career-High 22 Points but Scots Fall

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