“I wouldn’t trade it for anything” Kyle Taylor clears 1000-point mark
by Billy Lopatto - Staff Writer
The Monmouth Fighting Scots claimed the second leg of the Hwy 34 derby in Glennie Gymnasium Wednesday night, claiming victory over the Knox College Prairie Fire with a score of 82-68. Along with being a crucial victory, the night was a cause for celebration for a second reason: senior Kyle Taylor surpassed 1000 career points. “I’m just blessed,” said Taylor in a post-game interview. “I’ve been here for four years, and I’ve played with great teammates and great coaches all four years, which is an unbelievable experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Sophomore Zay Brown started the game strong, with a slam dunk drawing a foul just 17 seconds into the contest. Brown drained the foul shot, giving the Scots a 3-0 lead right out of the gate. The Prairie Fire, however, did not make things easy in the first 20 minutes, as Knox kept all Monmouth leads within 10 points for the entire first half. Monmouth led 35-28 at the break.
In the waning minutes of the second half, the Scots took control of the game, building their lead to 66-55 with under six minutes to play. A few minutes later, Knox would start fouling down the stretch to gain more possessions and more points, but the Scots held their own and cemented an 82-68 victory.
Kyle Taylor attacks Knox defender. Photo by Nayeli Perez.
Brown led the Scots in scoring on the evening with 20 points, followed by Taylor with 19 and Cameron Thomas with 17. The Scots shot an impressive 18-22 from the free throw line and shot 48.3% from the field, with 36.4% of those shots coming from beyond the arc. Kyle Taylor becomes the 24th player in program history to score 1000 career points and the first Scot in eight years to accomplish that feat.
The Scots will play in Glennie Gymnasium again next Wednesday, February 18, against the Lake Forest Foresters as the first leg of a men/women doubleheader, with tip-off slated for 5:30 p.m. On the 21st, Monmouth will end the regular season with a tune-up for the conference tournament against Illinois College with a 1 p.m. tip-off.