Box Score On a night when the defenses ruled, two Fighting Scots posted double-doubles and another nailed the winning free throw as Monmouth opened Midwest Conference play with a 58-57 win at Ripon.
 
Will Jones turned in an all-around night and climbed into the career top 10 points and top five assists with a 20-point, three assist night that included 11 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Justin Aluya came off the bench to join Jones with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Austin Holman who supplied the heroics.
 
Tied at 57-all with seven seconds left, Holman was fouled and granted a pair of free throws. After the senior drained the second for his only point of the game and a 58-57 lead the Scots took a timeout for the final Ripon play. The Scots held on for the league-opening win when the Red Hawks' desperation 3-pointer missed the mark.
 
The Jones-Aluya tandem helped the Scots lead for more than 22 minutes of the contest as neither team could open much of a lead in the game that saw seven lead changes and six ties. The Scots had the night's biggest lead at 12 on Jones' bucket with 11:28 left in the first half, but the Red Hawks rallied on their home court to lead for much of the second half, and nursed a 57-56 lead with 1:50 left before Aluya was fouled and sank one of two free throws to knot the score at 57-57 with 1:32 left, setting up Holman's winning throw.
 
Monmouth travels to Beloit Saturday for a 1 p.m. start at Beloit's Flood Arena.