Women undefeated going into MWC play 

By: Ian Van Anden
Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team has gotten off to a great start by winning their first three games. The Scots opened their season on Friday, Nov. 19, against Cornell College and won thanks to impressive performances by two of their seniors, Mallory Mulvihill and Laura Jahn. The Scots then had a successful Pizza Hut/County Market Classic, winning both games. Monmouth beat the Rams 68-65.

Game one of The Classic on Saturday, Nov. 25, the Scots faced Blackburn College and had an offensive explosion. The Scots whipped the floor with Blackburn winning 97-40.

As impressive as the offense was in the game, the Scots’ defense is what made the route possible. The Scots rarely allowed Blackburn open shots holding them to a 26.7 shot percentage. In the second half, Blackburn made just four of their 23 shots and scoring only 15 points. In the game, the Scots’ defense forced 30 turnovers by Blackburn. MC also won the rebound battle 53-30.

Junior Ashley Yeast led the way for the Scots with her second double-double of the year. The junior forward dropped in 18 points to go along with her 11 rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. Senior Laura Jahn continued her solid performance with her second 18 point performance of the year.

Head Coach Melissa Jones used her bench throughout the game as 19 players got some game action and MC had fourteen different scorers. The Scots ended the first half with a 27-2 scoring run and then outscored Blackburn 30-3 during a stretch in the second half.

The Scots came close to breaking two Monmouth records in their route of Blackburn. MC fell just five points short of the single game scoring record, which stands at 102, placing second all time in scoring margin. The Scots beat Black Hawk East by 67 early in the program’s life.

In the second game of The Classic on the following day, Sunday, Nov. 26, MC took on Rockford College. For the second straight game the Monmouth defense held their opponents under 45 points. Monmouth won the final game of The Classic 50-39.

The Scots’ took into the locker room a 26-13 lead, doubling up Rockford. MC defense was strong during the first half, holding the Regents scoreless for seven minutes at one point. The Scots used the Rockford drought to slowly pull away, eventually leading to their 13 point halftime lead.

The second half was a difference story for the Rockford offense which came out firing on all cylinders. Rockford was able to make the game tense, getting as close as three points to the Scots.

Yeast came just one point shy of her third double-double of the young season. Yeast had nine points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Mulvihill led the way with six assists. The point guard grabbed seven rebounds in Monmouth’s third game of the 2006 season.

Then with 7:10 remaining in the game the Monmouth defense went into shutdown mode. After Rockford knocked down two free throws and made it a 43-39, game the Scots defense kept the Regents scoreless for the remaining seven plus minutes.

The opening game of the 2006 women’s basketball season was a statement game for the MC seniors. With 6:42 remaining, Mulvihill took over the game; Monmouth was down 12 points at the time. The senior scored all 13 of her points in the remaining time. The key series in the game came when Mulvihill got an important steal at midcourt and was fouled as she went for a layup. The point guard sank both of her free throws, giving the Scots their first lead since the score was 19-18.

With the lead in hand at 63-63, the Scots held off a late Cornell run when Mulvihill completed a perfect night from the charity strip, going six for six, and Jahn draining a baseline jumper with only 15 seconds left putting the Scots up three.

Jahn had a team high 18 points and also pulled down nine rebounds. Yeast fulfilled a double-double with 18 rebounds and 12 points.

The team has an important stretch on their schedule as they will face three conference opponents on the road in their next three games. The women will face Carroll College on Friday, Dec. 1, and then Lawrence on Saturday, Dec. 2. Their final game of the three game road trip will be against Grinnell on Wednesday, Dec. 6. In the 2005-2006 season the team went 2-1 against the same three teams. MC defeated Grinnell 74-57 and also beat Lawrence 66-63. Their lone loss was against Carroll when the Scots fell 64-50.