Box Score Monmouth held high-scoring Grinnell nearly 20 points below their season average, but fell to the Pioneers 98-89 in the first round of the Midwest Conference Tournament.

Neither team could gain an advantage, trading the lead five times with nine ties. The Scots took a six-point lead - their biggest of the game on a layup by Riley Blea with 15:01 left in the second half - to jump ahead 61-55 to complete a 15-4 run to open the second half.

The teams then tied or traded the lead over the next 10 minutes until the Pioneers gained the edge for good on another 3-pointer with 5:37 left. The Scots stayed within a possession on a bucket by Paul Engo, III, and again on an Andrew Mathison tip-in. Grinnell then opened the lead with back-to-back threes and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute to hold off the second-seeded Scots.

Monmouth finished the year at 16-8 as Reed Goodbred and Mathison turned in double-doubles. Goodrbred poured in 23 points to go with 11 rebounds while Mathison hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor for 20 points and 16 rebounds. Blea aadded 11 points and Jones 10.