1997-98 Men's Basketball -- Results and Game Summaries

11/21/97 vs. Eureka [at Ripon Tournament] 86-75 (1-0)
Junior F Eric Matthews led the Fighting Scots to a season-opening victory over Eureka in the first round of the Ripon Tournament with a team- and career-high 28 points. Matthews was 11-of-16 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line and was joined in double figures by junior F Jeremy Bruce (20 pts) and junior G Trevor Hiel (14 pts), who hit 3 three-pointers. Sophomore C Kyle Duane (9) and senior F Matt Castle (8) led the rebounding stats. Monmouth, which led at the half 33-30, forced 22 turnovers and swiped 12 steals.

11/22/97 vs. Ripon [at Ripon Tournament] 69-77 (1-1)
Monmouth was defeated by Midwest Conference rival Ripon in the championship game of the Red Hawks' home tournament to even their season record at 1-1. Ripon held a slim 34-33 margin at halftime but pulled away in the second half, thanks in part to their performance at the free throw line. The Hawks made 31-of-39 free throws while Monmouth was only 15-of-22. Eric Matthews, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, again led the Fighting Scots with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Trevor Hiel (13 pts) was the only other player to score more than ten.

11/29/97 vs. Carleton [Pizza Hut-Giant Foods Classic] 76-86 (1-2)
A double-digit deficit was too tough for the Fighting Scots to overcome in the second half as Monmouth dropped the opening game in its home weekend doubleheader at Glennie Gymnasium. Carleton outplayed the Scots early and bolted to a commanding 43-31 halftime lead. Monmouth actually outscored the Knights in the second period but could not cut Carleton's lead to less than eight points late in the game. Jeremy Bruce led all scorers with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including three treys. Junior A.J. Fisher led the reserves off the Monmouth bench with 10 points. Eric Matthews (27.5 pts avg) was held to only nine points but grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

11/30/97 vs. Principia [Pizza Hut-Giant Foods Classic] 68-54 (2-2)
A winless Principia team was just what the Scots needed for their second game of the weekend and the home team won by 14 points despite struggling from the floor. Monmouth shot only 39% for the game and was hurt by its effort from the free-throw line (7-of-17). Monmouth's defense held Principia to only 17 first-half points and forced 26 turnovers but the offense could not put the Panthers away. Eric Matthews led three players in double figures with 23points, his third 20+ game of the season. Trevor Hiel came off the bench to score 14 and Jeremy Bruce added 13. Sophomore Kyle Duane snared a team-high eight rebounds.

12/03/97 at Truman State University 60-85 (2-3)
Poor shooting proved to be the nemesis of the Fighting Scots as they lost a non-conference contest on the road at Truman State. Monmouth almost pulled off a big upset last year against the Division II Bulldogs but was no match for TSU this year as the hosts ran out to a commanding 43-29 halftime lead. A three-pointer by Jeremy Bruce to start the second half cut the lead to 11 but that was the closest the Scots would get. The host Bulldogs cruised behind a strong showing from their three frontline starters, who combined for 48 points and 19 rebounds. Trevor Hiel and Eric Matthews each scored 15 points for Monmouth but hit 11 of 30 combined shots. As a team the Scots shot only 33% from the floor (21/63) and were 13-of-25 from the line.

12/06/97 at Lawrence 77-92 (2-4, 0-1)
The Fighting Scots lost their MWC conference opener as they were defeated by Lawrence in Appleton, WI. The Vikings, defending conference champions, bolted to a 50-41 halftime edge thanks to 64% field-goal shooting. Monmouth played a solid game but the difference came down to foul shots as Lawrence attempted 26 free throws to Monmouth's 9. LU's Joel DePagter (1997 MWC Player of the Year) scorched the Scots for 24 points, including 12 FTs. Monmouth was led in scoring by senior guard Mark Sandstrom (15) and forward Eric Matthews (13).

12/11/97 vs. Aurora 89-94 (2-5, 0-1)
Monmouth clawed back from a 14-point second half deficit but could not get over the hump against Aurora and the visitors hung on for a five-point win. Monmouth did not lead after the first three minutes of the game but turned a possible rout into a close and exciting contest with a second-half rally. Aurora led 52-40 at the break thanks to 55% shooting but it was Monmouth which came out firing after intermision. Eric Matthews, who finished with 27 points, led the Scots' offensive comeback with help from senior center Matt Castle (14 pts, 4-of-6 treys). Monmouth pulled to within one point of the Spartans twice but Aurora made 7 of 9 free throws in the final 1:30 to secure the victory.

12/13/97 vs. Marycrest International 79-69 (3-5, 0-1)
Monmouth broke open a tight game with a 14-0 run in the final five minutes of the first half, relinquished a 12-point lead in the second half and then hung on for the win at home against Marycrest. The Fighting Scots were led in scoring by Eric Matthews and Kent Froebe, who shared team-high honors with 20 points each, and finally solved some of their problems at the free-throw line. Monmouth connected on 21 of 25 foul shots to offset 50% floor shooting by the Eagles. MIU took a brief lead at 52-51 at the 10:15 mark but Monmouth went on a 14-5 run to build a comfortable lead. Seven of eight free throws in the final 3:30 sealed the victory for Monmouth.

12/20/97 at Central Missouri State 84-92 (3-6, 0-1)
Playing perhaps its best all-around game of the season to date, Monmouth threatened to pull off a big upset at Warrensburg, pushing CMSU to the limit before dropping an eight-point decision to the Division II Mules. The Scots used 20 first-half points by senior guard Mark Sandstrom to post a 46-42 advantage at the intermission and still held a lead with 11 minutes to play. Central went on a short 8-0 run to pull away and kept the lead until the final buzzer. Monmouth shot 50% from the floor and made a season-high 12 three-pointers, seven by junior forward Jeremy Bruce, to keep the pressure on CMSU the entire game. Sandstrom finished with 26 points and Bruce added 25, both personal season highs, to pace the Monmouth scoring.

01/09/98 vs. Beloit 109-85 (4-6, 1-1)
Monmouth opened the 1998 portion of its schedule with its first 100-point performance of the season as the Fighting Scots thrashed MWC North rival Beloit at Glennie Gym. Monmouth kept the Buccaneers winless by jumping out to a comfortable 62-48 halftime lead and was effective again from the charity stripe, hitting 24 of 27 free throw attempts. Five Scots hit for double figures, led by junior Jeremy Bruce with 22 points and junior Eric Matthews with 19. Matthews also collected a team-high 12 rebounds.

01/10/98 vs. Ripon 59-95 (4-7, 1-2)
One day after its best output of the season, Monmouth was held to its lowest point total by conference rival Ripon. The Red Hawks shot 61% from the floor and 65% on three-pointers and handed Monmouth its second MWC loss. It marked the second time Ripon has beaten the Scots this season. Mark Sandstrom scored 22 and Eric Matthews 16 points for Monmouth but no other player scored more than seven as the Scots could only manage 33% shooting for the game.

01/16/98 at Carroll 89-80 (5-7, 2-2)
01/17/98 at Lake Forest 75-65 (6-7, 3-2)
Monmouth swept a pair of crucial Midwest Conference games on the road this weekend and solidified their spot atop the MWC South standings. The Fighting Scots beat North rival Carroll on Friday night and then handed Lake Forest their first divisional loss this season on Saturday. Junior Jeremy Bruce was the team's offensive leader, scoring a season-high 27 points against Carroll and added 16 versus Lake Forest. Bruce was 10-of-19 in three-point shots over the weekend and grabbed 14 rebounds. Eric Matthews scored 22 on Friday and was held to only 12 by the Foresters. However, three other Scots hit for double digits, including Kent Froebe's 14 points off the bench, in Saturday's win. Monmouth's free-throw shooting continues to improve as the team converted 34 of 49 attempts (69%) in the two victories.

01/21/98 vs. Illinois College 77-73 (7-7, 4-2)
Monmouth made it four wins in five games since the holiday vacation break with a victory at home against MWC South rival Illinois. The Fighting Scots evened their season mark at 7-7 and went to 4-2 in the division with the win. IC could not take advantage of a poor shooting effort by Monmouth, whose perimeter players went a combined 4-of-25 in three-point attempts. Monmouth led 33-31 at the break and took the lead for good at 42-40 with 15 minutes left in the game. IC kept the game within six points but could never regain the lead. Trevor Hiel was 8-of-11 from the floor to pace the Scots with a season-high 24 points as four MC starters scored ten or more points.

01/23/98 at Grinnell 109-107 (8-7, 5-2)
In a typical MWC shootout with Grinnell, Monmouth prevailed by a single basket on the Pioneers' home court. The Scots led 53-46 at halftime and withstood a spirited Grinnell comeback in the second period. Behind a triple-double performance by sophomore forward Kent Froebe and 75% shooting from the floor, Monmouth raised its record to 5-2 in the league. Froebe scored 35 points (11/11 FG, 13/14 FT), grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out 11 assists as the Scots' zone pressure countered Grinnell's long-range attack. Grinnell was only 18-of-46 on three-point shots and allowed Monmouth to make easy layups and fast-break baskets throughout the game. Jeremy Bruce scored 20 points (including 12-of-12 FT) and Eric Matthews 17.

01/31/98 vs. Knox 78-71 (9-7, 6-2)
Monmouth strengthened its position in the MWC South Division standings with a 7-point win over arch-rival Knox at home. The Scots built a commanding 17-point cushion by halftime (44-27) and led by as many as 20 points early in the second period. However, the team cooled off from the floor and the Prairie Fire were able to cut the lead under ten before the second of two technical fouls on the Knox bench with five minutes remaining. In front of a loud and partisan "Alumni Weekend" crowd Monmouth regained its composure and held on for the conference win. Kent Froebe followed his 35-point outburst at Grinnell with 19 tonight and Eric Matthews (18), Trevor Hiel (14 ) and Jeremy Bruce (13) all hit for double figures for Monmouth.

02/04/98 at Illinois 90-75 (10-7, 7-2)
Monmouth exploded for 52 second-half points to blow open a close game and win their 7th MWC conference game in nine tries on the road in Jacksonville. Monmouth struggled from the field in the first half and clung to a one-point margin at the break (38-37) but used 63% shooting to extend the lead in the second period. Four players hit for double figures, led by Jeremy Bruce's 21-point performance. Trevor Hiel connected on 10 of 12 FTs and added 16 points as Monmouth defeated IC for the second time in two weeks.

02/06/98 vs. St. Norbert 78-58 (11-7, 8-2)
The Scots fought off a stubborn St. Norbert team in the first half and then dominated the visiting Green Knights to post a 20-point win on their home court. Monmouth turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, outscoring SNC 40-22 and forcing 16 turnovers. Senior guard Mark Sandstrom led a trio of Scots in double figures with 17 points as the men won their seventh straight MWC contest.

02/07/98 vs. Lake Forest 85-67 (12-7, 9-2)
The winning streak continued as the Scots completely shut down Lake Forest in the first half and rolled to an easy victory at home. The win was the team's eighth in a row and clinched the top spot in the MWC South Division, giving Monmouth the right to host the conference tournament later this month. Monmouth led 49-26 at intermission and cruised in the second half. Sophomore Kent Froebe led the Scots with 27 points, including a perfect 6-of-6 three-point shooting, and junior Eric Matthews added 18. Freshman guard Justin Bryant dished out a season-high 10 assists in 25 minutes of action.

02/14/98 vs. Grinnell 73-104 (12-8, 9-3)
The Scots' 8-game win streak was stopped abruptly against Grinnell as the Pioneers shot down Monmouth by a 104-73 score. Monmouth lost the battle on the boards 61-47 and was unable to stop the Pioneers' three-point attack as Grinnell hit for 25 threes en route to a 65-48 halftime lead. Monmouth pulled its starters early in the second period and never challenged after that. Monmouth was led by Eric Matthews (17 points) and Mark Sandstrom (11).

02/17/98 vs. MacMurray 94-84 (13-8)
Monmouth got back on the winning track against non-conference rival MacMurray in a big way as the Scots enjoyed a blowout at home. Monmouth led by as many as 30 points midway through the second half after opening a 50-34 halftime advantage. Every Monmouth player saw the court and 12 different Scots scored, paced by Eric Matthews with 23 points. Jeremy Bruce added 18, including 4-of-5 three-pointers.

02/21/98 at Knox 86-104 (13-9, 9-4)
The host Prairie Fire used two big scoring runs to defeat Monmouth in the regular-season finale for both teams. Knox broke open a close game with a surge late in the first half and enjoyed a 52-41 lead at the intermission. The Fire scored the first seven points of the second period to widen their lead and Monmouth never came within nine points the rest of the way. Eric Matthews paced the Scots with an energetic effort in the paint, scoring 28 points and grabbing a season-high 13 rebounds. Mark Sandstrom led three other double-digit scorers with 15 points and Trevor Hiel recorded 6 assists as the MWC arch-rivals split the season series, each winning on their own home floor.

02/27/98 MWC Tournament (at Monmouth) vs. Lawrence 68-79 (13-10)
The Fighting Scots' season came to an end on Friday in the semifinals of the Midwest Conference Championship Tournament as Monmouth was defeated by Lawrence at Glennie Gym. Monmouth was hosting the league tournament for the first time since 1990 and was hoping to avenge a December loss to the Vikings in Appleton. A 13-2 run by LU late in the first half broke the game open and Monmouth found itself trailing by seven points, 31-24, at halftime. The Scots regrouped midway through the second half and put together a brief rally, spurred by five three-pointers by Jeremy Bruce, to cut the lead to 59-56 with 4:34 remaining. However, the Vikings fought off the challenge to lengthen their lead back to double digits and held on for the win, despite making only three field goals in the final four minutes. Eric Matthews led Monmouth with 23 points and Bruce added 22 as the Scots finished the season at 13-10.

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