The Monmouth College men's basketball team got off to a hot start but couldn't sustain it in a 78-60 road loss to Beloit College on Monday night. The game, originally scheduled for Jan. 8, is the first of three this week for the Scots (2-11, 1-4). 

Jonathan Oradiegwu (Richmond, Texas) scored the first seven points of the game and his free throw 90 seconds into the game gave the Scots a 7-0 lead. Beloit scored the next eight points before Will Ewald (Lincoln, Illinois) made a pair of free throws and Oradiegwu knocked down another jumper. 

Beloit went on top 13-11 and the Scots never led again. The Buccaneers pushed the lead to 21-12 before a 5-0 Scots run. Beloit followed with an 8-0 run and kept the lead in double figures the rest of the half with a 39-26 lead at the break. Oradiegwu scored 16 in the half but no other Monmouth player had more than four. 

The lead extended to 16 before Jordan Metcalf (Aledo, Illinois) and Kendall Brasfield (Chicago, Illinois) scored on consecutive possessions. Free throws by Ewald cut the Beloit lead to 10 points with 12:36 to play. 

Beloit's lead jumped up to 23 before Brandon Wheeler (Memphis, Tennessee) made two free throws and Jadyn Ellison (Hudson, Illinois) made a 3-pointer for the final points of the game with 49 seconds left. 

Oradiegwu led the Scots with 18 points and Metcalf had 10. Brasfield, Briar Greenman (Alpha, Illinois) and Ewald all finished with six points. Metcalf grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and Oradiegwu had four assists to go with two steals. 

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Scots beat Beloit 75-61 at home on Dec. 4…The Scots shot 35% from the field overall and were just 3-of-17 from 3-point range…Beloit outrebounded Monmouth 37-27…Monmouth forced 19 turnovers and committed just 14…Beloit was 8-of-16 from deep…The Scots host Lake Forest on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and Knox on Saturday at 1 p.m.