Referees eject fans as Scots lock down playoff berth
Ryan Phillips - Sports Editor
The Monmouth College Scots clinched a Midwest Conference playoff berth with an 84-73 victory over Knox College at Glennie Gymnasium last Tuesday, despite a dip in energy from the home team’s crowd.
Zay Brown opened the scoring for the Scots, hitting a layup followed by a three-pointer after Declan Flynn’s first bucket. The Prairie Fire quickly responded, tying the game at 10 early on.
“We always want to start off strong,” Brown said in a postgame interview.
Cameron Thomas then drained a three-pointer off a Brennen McNally assist. With 10 minutes left in the first half, Brown grabbed a missed shot and tipped it in for his own rebound. Both teams battled hard, but Ganon Greenman gave the Scots a boost, sinking a three-pointer to make it 20-16. Monmouth then added six consecutive points from the free-throw line.
The Scots went on a run when Max Maring knocked down a three-pointer, giving Monmouth a 35-29 lead. Jason Huber and Brown combined for six more points before Huber’s basket at the end. The teams left for the locker room with the Scots in the lead, 50-39.
Knox came out strong in the second half, with a Willie Rogers III three-pointer setting the tone. Monmouth responded with a layup from Thomas and two more points from Brown. However, the Scots couldn’t convert on a Brown steal shortly after.
As the game unfolded, the crowd felt the rivalry’s intensity, particularly after referees ejected part of the student section for rowdiness.
With seven minutes left, Brown continued to dominate the Knox defense, adding two more points to extend the lead to 72-58. Brown finished with 31 points, while Kyle Taylor recorded his 200th career assist. The Scots held their advantage throughout and secured their first Midwest Conference playoff berth since 2022.
Monmouth takes on Grinnell College in their final regular-season game at Glennie Gymnasium on Saturday. Tip off starts at 3:00 pm.
