Three in Double Figures but Scots Fall on Tuesday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (01/14/2026) — The Monmouth College women's basketball team lost 82-57 at home to Grinnell on Tuesday evening. The Fighting Scots (5-11, 1-6) play the next two games on the road before hosting Cornell on Jan. 27.

Grinnell took a 7-0 lead before Brooklyn Sellers (Freeport, Illinois) scored in the post and Jamaica Walker (Mobile, Alabama) made a layup. Kynlee Stearns (Gilson, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer but the visitors built a 20-7 lead after one quarter.

Sellers scored early in the second but Grinnell led 31-9 before Kiersten Cox (Illinois City, Illinois) scored four in a row. Ava Pelaez (Aurora, Colorado) hit a jumper and with Grinnell leading 35-15, Cox scored again. Averi Rangel (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Cox scored again to cut Grinnell's lead to 40-22 at halftime.

Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) scored Monmouth's first points of the second half but Grinnell went on a 9-2 run to lead 49-24. Walker made a free throw and Stearns knocked down a pair. Grinnell pushed the lead to 27 and Layla Rice (Rock Island, Illinois) made a jumper. Ava Borchardt (Harvard, Illinois) hit a jumper and Stearns made a three to pull the Scots within 20. Rangel scored in the lane and Grinnell led 57-36 after three.

The Pioneers made a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter before Allie Hoy (Woodland, Illinois) hit a runner in the lane. Stearns scored again but Grinnell pushed the lead to 66-40. Rangel hit a 3-pointer and Stearns made a layup but the Pioneers answered to lead by 29. Cox scored four more and Rangel hit a 3-pointer but the Scots trailed by 24 with two minutes left. Pelaez scored and Walker made a free throw but Grinnel finished off the scoring for the 82-57 win.

Cox and Stearns led the Scots with 12 points each while Rangel had 11. Sellers led with seven rebounds, one more than both Cox and Walker. Hoy and Walker had three assists each and Riggs led the Scots with three steals.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Stearns scored in double figures for the ninth time this season ... Rangel and Cox both have four games with at least 10 points ...Ten different Monmouth players scored ... Going 3-for-3 from deep, Rangel moved past Keri Walters into 12th in career 3-pointers made with 71 ... Stearns moved past Melissa Gorski into 22nd in made 3's with 54 ... She also collected her 90th career steal ... The Scots were just 4-of-12 at the free throw line ... Monmouth leads the all-time series 58-36 but Grinnell has won five in a row with a 9-6 mark in the last 15 games ... The teams will play again in Iowa on Feb. 4 ... The Scots play at Lawrence on Saturday.