Second-half surge pushes Scots past Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. — The Monmouth College women’s basketball team pulled away midway through the second half and went on to a 48-36 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University in the season finale at Alexander Gymnasium.

Kathleen Forrest led Monmouth (10-13, 9-9 MWC) with 15 points, and Tiffany Churchill added 11.

Danelle Buck and Natalie Kramer had nine points apiece to pace Lawrence (1-22, 0-18), and Elizabeth Arco and Olivia Hoesley added eight points apiece. Buck and Kassidy Rinehart both grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Vikings.

The Scots led 23-16 at the half, but Lawrence rallied in the early minutes of the second half. Buck ripped off the first seven points after the break on two layups and capped by a 3-pointer that tied the game at 23-23 with 16:13 left.

Hoesley later hit a 3-pointer to cut Monmouth’s lead to 30-28, but that’s when the Scots took control. Monmouth scored the game’s next eight points, capped by Churchill’s 3-pointer, to take a 38-28 lead with 9:45 remaining.

Lawrence cut the lead to seven points on two occasions after that but could get no closer.

The Vikings led by as many as three points in the first half, and the score was tied five times before the break. Monmouth grabbed the lead on Forrest’s 3-pointer with 3:25 left in the first half, and that spurred the Scots to take a 23-16 lead at halftime.

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