Fighting Scots 2003-04 Basketball Game Summaries

Feb. 21 vs. Knox College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 53, Knox 51 (6-17, 4-12)
Mallory Mulvihill's clutch three-point shot with less than a minute to play regained for the Scots a lead they had held for most of the second half. After a Knox shot crawled to along the rim and fell back off, Elyse Lambert made a huge hustle play, digging the defensive rebound off the floor, and Courtney Scherrer made a free throw at the 15-second mark for a two-point lead. Knox then missed two game-tying shots in the final seconds. Monmouth scored the last seven points of the first half to go up 26-24, and the Scots' lead reached as high as eight points before Knox went on a 6-0 run to take the lead with 3:33 to play. Lisa Curry had a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds for MC and Laura Jahn added 11 points. Hillary Nelson had 13 points and three steals for Knox.

Feb. 18 vs. Lake Forest College, Monmouth, Ill.
Lake Forest 63, Monmouth 47 (5-17, 3-12)
A spirited second-half comeback turned a forgettable Monmouth performance into a building block for next season. The Scots made just 4-of-29 shots in the first half, in the process tying a school record for fewest points in a half with 11. After the Foresters scored the first seven points in the second half, Monmouth trailed 36-11. But the Scots, fueled by three Laura Jahn blocks, went on a 15-0 run, getting baskets from five different players. Karissa Murray then sandwiched two jumpers around a Janella Johnson three-pointer, and Monmouth trailed just 39-33. The Foresters gradually regained control from that point. Courtney Scherrer and Murray led the Scots with eight points apiece and Jahn added six points, five blocks and eight rebounds. Shannon Clerkin recorded a double-double for the Foresters, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Feb. 14 vs. Illinois College, Monmouth, Ill.
Illinois C. 90, Monmouth 85 (5-16, 3-11)
Both teams shot 50 percent or better in an entertaining offensive display at Glennie Gym that saw the record broken for the most points scored by the women's team in a loss. The top producer, unfortunately for the MC faithful, was the Lady Blues' Angie Bossingham, who was 9-of-10 from the field, including five three-pointers, on her way to 24 points. Krista Kuhlman and Courtney Allen combined for 35 more for IC. The Scots were paced by the inside-outside combo of Elyse Lambert, who had 21 points, and Mallory Mulvihill, who had 20. Lisa Curry added a career-high 16 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds. Marie Webster dished out seven assists. The Scots led 28-23 in the first half, but Bossingham got hot, scoring eight points over four possessions to put IC ahead to stay. The Lady Blues led 42-35 at the half and although they let Monmouth close within two at 69-67, the Scots never got over the hump.

Feb. 7 at St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wis.
St. Norbert 77, Monmouth 58 (5-15, 3-10)
Despite a great day of three-point shooting, the Fighting Scots came up empty on the second leg of their Wisconson road trip. Monmouth made 8-of-12 shots from beyond the arc but just 13-of-44 from inside it as the red-hot Green Knights won for the 11th time in 12 games. Turnovers also did in the Scots, who committed compared to St. Norbert's 12. The Knights took charge of the game with a 21-3 run early in the second half to take a 64-40 lead. Mallory Mulvihill topped MC with 14 points and six rebounds and Marie Webster added eight points and five rebounds. Twelve SNC players scored, and Meggan Hau, Ellen Hake and Kelly Dugan led the way with 11 apiece.

Feb. 6 at Carroll College, Waukesha, Wis.
Carroll 68, Monmouth 47 (5-14, 3-9)
The Fighting Scots' inability to shoot the ball has been the team's Achilles heel for much of the season, and Monmouth was especially doomed at Carroll by a 6-of-25 effort in the second half. While the Scots were hitting just 3-of-17 three-pointers in the game, the Pioneers made nine of their 19 attempts beyond the arc, including a 4-of-5 night by reserve guard Jenni Poch, who scored 16. Carroll forward Krista Rode stepped out and drained a trio of treys on her way to a game-high 19 points. For Monmouth, the main scoring came inside, as post Lisa Curry led the way with a career-high 15 points and power forward Elyse Lambert added seven. Carroll also won the rebounding war decisively, outboarding the Scots 45-30.

Feb. 3 at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell 76, Monmouth 68 (5-13, 3-8)
Earlier this season, Grinnell stopped a 19-game losing streak to Monmouth, and the Pioneers now have two straight wins over the Scots. In a game that was close throughout, Grinnell improved to 7-3 in the MWC despite a 20-point, 13-rebound effort by the Scots' Elyse Lambert. The contest appeared to be decided at the free throw line, as Grinnell made 18-of-36 attempts, while the Scots hit on just 9-of-18. Mallory Mulvihill had eight points and five assists for the Scots, while Grinnell was led by Katy Bowen's 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Jan. 31 vs. Lawrence University, Monmouth, Ill.
Lawrence 62, Monmouth 48 (5-12, 3-7)
Lawrence stormed out to a 39-18 halftime advantage and never led by less than 11 the rest of the way. The Vikings broke away from a 13-13 tie with a 26-5 run to end the half, ultimately forcing 17 first-half Monmouth turnovers. Lisa Curry scored 11 points for the Scots, while Felice Porrata paced Lawrence with 18 points, her fourth straight double-digit game against the Scots.

Jan. 30 vs. Ripon College, Monmouth, Ill.
Ripon 74, Monmouth 49 (5-11, 3-6)
League-leading Ripon turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and won going away. The Red Hawks, who are now 9-0 in the MWC, held the Scots to just four field goals in the second half while forcing 16 turnovers. The Scots were within two points at 27-25 with more than six minutes remaining in the first half, but the Red Hawks pulled away to a 39-30 halftime advantage and then held the Scots without a point for the first 7:31 of the second half. Mallory Mulvihill had 16 points for the Scots and Karissa Murray added 10 off the bench. Ripon's Janine Emmer had 14 points and Melissa Skurzewski added 12.

Jan. 24 at Beloit College, Beloit, Wis.
Monmouth 65, Beloit 64 (5-10, 3-5)
Lisa Curry's short jumper with three seconds to play capped a late comeback and lifted the Scots to a big victory on the road. Monmouth had trailed 64-60 with 1:11 to play, but Marie Webster drained a three-pointer and, after a long possession, Beloit misfired with 15 seconds to play to give the Scots a final attempt. The Bucs then missed two free throws with no time remaining that could have won or tied the game. The Bucs had led from the opening tip, eventually going ahead 35-19 before settling for a 42-30 halftime advantage. Monmouth went on a 13-2 run early in the second half to get back in the game, and the Scots took their first lead on two Laura Jahn free throws with 4:05 remaining. Mallory Mulvihill starred for the Scots, netting a career-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds and two steals. Webster broke out of a recent slump to score 10 points.

Jan. 23 at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis.
Lawrence 80, Monmouth 64 (4-10, 2-5)
Lawrence's Claire Getzoff may have entered the night as the league's leader in points per game, but it was the other "legit scorer" that coach Dennis Mann feared who dominated for the Vikings. Felice Porrata played a total floor game, scoring 27 points and adding 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals as Lawrence held off a late Monmouth rally to win going away. LU led 54-34 in the second half before the Scots sliced the deficit to nine at 60-51. But Porrata's layup capped a 10-2 run that regained control for the hosts. Getzoff added 14 points for the winners, while Elyse Lambert and Mallory Mulvihill each had 13 points for the Scots.

Jan. 17 vs. Carroll College, Monmouth, Ill.
Carroll 59, Monmouth 54 (4-9, 2-4)
The Scots had a shot at the lead with less than a minute to play, but Laura Jahn's turnaround eight-footer was off the mark. Carroll's Jill Gustafson then split Monmouth's defense with a driving hoop, the Scots missed again and Carroll finished off its victory with four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds. After again struggling early, the Scots rallied to take three one-point leads in the first half before settling for a 29-22 deficit at the break. Carroll's largest lead in the second half was nine, but Courtney Scherrer led a late mini-charge, converting an old-fashioned three-point play with 2:07 left and assisting on a Lisa Curry hoop to pull Monmouth within one at 53-52. Elyse Lambert had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Scots and Mallory Mulvihill scored 12.

Jan. 16 vs. St. Norbert College, Monmouth, Ill.
St. Norbert 68, Monmouth 53 (4-8, 2-3)
The Fighting Scots did not score for the first 5:33 of the game, but tenacious defense allowed them to hang around for a good portion of the game. Monmouth even had a short-lived lead at 17-14 with 5:07 left in the first half, but the Green Knights sank their final five shots of the half, including two treys, to fashion a 31-22 lead. The Scots kept the game within single digits for much of the final 20 minutes, but St. Norbert came up with several clutch baskets to keep comfortably ahead. Mallory Mulvihill, Elyse Lambert and Lisa Curry each had 10 points and combined for 24 rebounds for the Scots. Kelly Krombach paced SNC with 19 points, five assists and five steals.

Jan. 13 vs. Grinnell College, Monmouth, Ill.
Grinnell 70, Monmouth 69 (4-7, 2-2)
A game that was close throughout was decided with 0:00 to play. Monmouth's Courtney Scherrer was fouled trying to sink a game-tying three-pointer as the buzzer sounded. The sophomore point guard rolled home her first free throw attempt and swished her second before seeing the last shot pop in and out. The heartbreaking ending came after a furious MC rally had wiped out a 61-50 Grinnell lead with 6:44 to play. Mallory Mulvihill had eight points during a 12-1 run that tied the game with just under five minutes to play. Trailing 68-67, Monmouth threw away an entry pass with 10 seconds left, and Grinnell hit two free throws at the four-second mark before the dramatic ending. Laura Jahn had 15 points and nine boards for the Scots and Mulvihill added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Elyse Lambert scored 14, including 13 in the first half, which ended with the Scots ahead 36-34. Katy Bowen had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Grinnell. The loss snapped the Scots' 19-game winning streak against the Pioneers.

Jan. 10 at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill.
Monmouth 69, Knox 49 (4-6, 2-1)
An 17-0 run midway through the first half carried the Fighting Scots to a relatively easy victory. With the score tied 8-8, Monmouth sank 6-of-9 shots over the next six minutes to go ahead 25-8. Six different players scored during the surge. The Scots led 34-20 at halftime and kept a double-digit lead throughout the second half. Laura Jahn paced the Scots with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Mallory Mulvihill added 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Courtney Scherrer also dialed a dozen for the Scots, who had 10 players see at least 12 minutes of action. Monmouth's bench outscored the Prairie Fire's reserves 35-8, and overall the Scots had a 55-41 advantage on the glass.

Jan. 7 at Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Ill.
Lake Forest 74, Monmouth 47 (3-6, 1-1)
The Foresters have had Monmouth's number in recent years, and maybe that's why the Fighting Scots had no numbers to speak of in their first game since a week before Christmas. Monmouth was outscored 11-0 to start the game, shot just 22.2 percent from the field (14-of-63) and placed no scorers in double figures in suffering their 18th straight loss to LFC. Only Courtney Scherrer had what could be classified as a solid game, making 3-of-5 shots and recording eight points and four steals.

Dec. 17 vs. Eureka College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 65, Eureka 63 (3-5)
A three-point flurry midway through the second half lifted the Fighting Scots to an impressive non-conference win. The lead had changed hand seven times before Monmouth made three-pointers on four straight possessions to turn a 46-45 deficit into a 57-49 lead. Post player Elyse Lambert assisted on three of the hoops as the Scots executed textbook inside-out play. Although Monmouth would sputter at the free throw line down the stretch, sinking only four of their final 11 attempts in the last five minutes, their lead proved to be just large enough. The game was dramatic right to the end, as Eureka star Jessica Reardon had a three-pointer from just inside half-court blocked by Marie Webster at the buzzer, and no foul was called on the play. The Scots held Reardon below her scoring average, as she netted 16 points thanks to good defense by players like Mallory Mulvihill and Rachel Jenks. Mulvihill coralled a team-high nine rebounds and Webster had 11 points to go with three blocks. Laura Jahn and Lisa Curry led Monmouth with 12 points apiece. Tracy Specketer knocked down six three-pointers and scored a game-high 23 points for the Red Devils.  

Dec. 13 at Greenville College, Greenville, Ill.
Greenville 80, Monmouth 65 (2-5)
The Scots' loss at Greenville was another example of Monmouth playing well for a while but not long enough. The hosts led just 39-37 at halftime after Monmouth had shot 50 percent from the field, but the second half was controlled by Greenville, which held the Scots to just 34 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. Despite committing just three more fouls than GC, Monmouth was outscored 21-4 at the foul line. Reserve Rachel Petrucha, in particular, made the Scots pay, going 9-of-9 at the foul line on her way to a game-high 19 points. Monmouth again received balanced scoring, with four players in double figures, led by Marie Webster's 13. Elyse Lambert added 12 points and nine rebounds and Courtney Scherrer contributed five assists and three steals.

Dec. 6 at Rockford College, Rockford, Ill.
Rockford 82, Monmouth 70 (2-4)
Once again, the Scots' inability to put a full 40 minutes together proved costly. Monmouth took a six-point halftime lead against the Regents but then surrendered 57 second-half points. Marie Webster and Elyse Lambert led the Scots with 11 points apiece and Laura Jahn and Courtney Scherrer each had 10. Scherrer dished out six assists and Lambert snared six rebounds. Rockford also placed four players in double digits, including Paula Jones, the sister of former MC star Melissa Jones, who scored 12.

Dec. 3 at Illinois College, Jacksonville, Ill.
Monmouth 66, Illinois College 65 (2-3, 1-0)
The young Fighting Scots pulled a shocker at IC, rallying from a 46-31 deficit with 14 minutes to play to nip an experienced Lady Blues squad in the Midwest Conference opener for both teams. After IC missed two free throws with 21 seconds to play, sophomore Courtney Scherrer provided the heroics, scoring her only points of the night on a jumper with four seconds left. Marie Webster then blocked the Lady Blues' game-winning attempt with one second remaining. Balanced scoring keyed the Scots, who received a career-high 14 points from freshman Laura Jahn and 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively, from freshman Mallory Mulvihill, sophomore Lisa Curry and junior Elyse Lambert. Curry added nine rebounds and Scherrer had six assists and four steals.

Nov. 30 vs. Culver-Stockton College, Monmouth, Ill.
Culver-Stockton 76, Monmouth 50 (1-3)
The Fighting Scots stayed with visiting Culver-Stockton for most of the first half but struggled to score in the second en route to their second straight defeat at the Econofoods/Pizza Hut Basketball Classic. Mallory Mulvihill scored all of her team-high nine points in the first half, and Janella Johnson's free throws with 3:50 to play put the Scots on top 27-26. But Monmouth would make just one of its next 14 shots, and the Lady Wildcats opened a 46-31 lead. C-SC later had an 11-0 run. Lisa Curry had seven boards, Mulvihill had four assists and Curry and Laura Jahn each had three steals.

Nov. 29 vs. Williams Woods University, Monmouth, Ill.
Williams Woods 63, Monmouth 58 (1-2)
After rallying from an 18-point deficit to take a five-point lead, the Fighting Scots could not seal the deal and wound up falling to the visiting Owls in their first game of the Econofoods/Pizza Hut Basketball Classic. The Scots failed to get into any kind of offensive flow in the first half, at one point turning the ball over six straight times as they fell behind 31-13. The Scots were trailing 39-25 when things began to fall into place, and Rachel Jenks sparked a quick surge with three assists and a basket. The 17-2 run was capped by Janella Johnson's go-ahead hoop. From that point, there were five lead changes. Monmouth went up 52-51 on a Laura Jahn basket, and Mallory Mulvihill drilled a three-pointer and Elyse Lambert scored on an old-fashioned three-point play to put MC up 58-53 with 3:41 to go. The Scots, however, would not score again, missing the front end of two one-and-bonuses, committing a turnover and missing four shots from the field. Mulvihill topped the Scots with 15 points, Courtney Scherrer had four assists and Mulvihill and Marie Webster each had four steals. William Woods' Laura Maxwell had 18 points and Susan Borghardt drilled a game-clinching trey with under 10 seconds to play and the shot clock winding down. Borghardt also hauled in a team-high nine rebounds as the Owls outboarded MC 48-25.

Nov. 23 at University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
Monmouth 71, Rhodes College 70 (1-1)
Monmouth trailed by as many as eight late in the first half but quickly gained a lead early in the second half that they would not relinquish. Elyse Lambert, who shot 13-of-16 from the line, drained six straight free throws put the Scots ahead to stay just three minutes into the second half. Ironically, it was free throws that could have made the difference down the stretch. Rhodes pulled to within one with eight seconds left and missed a potential game-tying free throw, but still had life when the Scots failed to convert two free throws. Rhodes pulled down the defensive rebound but could not get off a shot. Lambert paced the Scots with a career-high 21 points and Courtney Scherrer added 12 points and dished out a team-high four assists.

Nov. 22 at University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
Chicago 79, Monmouth 51 (0-1)
The Fighting Scots gave the University of Chicago a scare, but cold shooting in the second half doomed Monmouth in a 28-point season-opening loss. Monmouth trailed 35-34 at halftime but could manage only 18 percent shooting (6-of-34) from the floor after the break while UC nailed 16 of its 26 second half attempts. The Maroons quickly opened the second half by hitting their first four shots and increased their lead to 10 in just under two minutes. Elyse Lambert and freshman Mallory Mulvihill each netted 11 points and Lisa Curry added 10. Mulvihill pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in her collegiate debut.