MONMOUTH, ILL. (01/02/2023) The Monmouth College men’s basketball team put five players in double figures and held off Lawrence 85-75 at home Monday night in a Midwest Conference tilt. The Scots (7-6, 6-1) hit 11 3-pointers and scored more than 40 points in both halves in the win.
Down 3-0 the Scots got on the board through David Williams (Loves Park, Illinois) and took the lead when Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) made a jumper. Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) added two free throws for a 6-5 Monmouth lead. After a 5-0 run by the Vikings, Brasfield scored again and Metcalf grabbed a dunk in transition. Williams splashed a 3-pointer from the right side to give the Scots a 15-12 lead. The Vikings led 17-15 when Kyle Taylor (Moline, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer for the lead. Metcalf scored on the next trip and Taylor drilled another 3-pointer for a 23-22 Scots lead. The Vikings scored the next five before an acrobatic layup for Jordan Hill (Chicago, Illinois). Both teams knocked down 3-pointers and Lawrence took a 33-29 lead at the line. Taylor hit another 3-pointer and then drilled an even longer one for a 35-33 lead before Yuvraj Sidhu (Coppell, Texas) scored on a put-back. Lawrence scored the next five points to lead 38-37 before Metcalf scored in the lane with under a minute to go. Brasfield hit a jumper and Lawrence tied the game with a 3-pointer right before halftime.
Metcalf, Williams and Brasfield all scored in the first two minutes of the second half as Monmouth built a 47-43 lead. Metcalf scored again in the lane and the Vikings went on a run to tie the game at 50. Monmouth went on a 10-0 run, keyed by a technical foul on the Lawrence coach. Williams made two free throws and a pair of 3-pointers for eight of the 10 as Monmouth took a 60-50 lead. Up seven, Ganon Greenman (Alpha, Illinois) made a layup then got a block at the other end, leading to a free throw from Hill.
Lawrence went on a mini run but Hill swished a 3-pointer for a 66-58 lead and followed with a layup The Vikings hit a pair of threes before Hill blocked a shot and went coast-to-coast for an acrobatic layup and a 70-64 lead. Declan Flynn (Monmouth, Illinois) made a layup and Lawrence scored the next four points. Taylor scored on a put-back and then hit a 3-pointer for a 77-69 lead. Williams drained a 3-pointer on the next possession for the largest lead of the night. With under a minute to play, Hill made two free throws for an 82-71 lead and Williams added two more on the next possession.
Williams led the way with 23 points as he made four 3-pointers and was 7-for-10 at the line. Taylor was 5-for-9 from deep and scored 17 points while Brasfield finished with 13. Metcalf had 12 points and Hill had 11 as all nine Scots who played scored. Brasfield led the team with nine rebounds and three assists while Taylor had two steals.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Vikings won both games last year and five of the last six before Monday. Monmouth had eight blocks in the game, one each by eight different players. The Scots out-rebounded Lawrence 44-31. Both teams had six turnovers. Monmouth faces Beloit College at home this Saturday with a 3 p.m. start.
