The Monmouth College women's basketball team lost at first-place Ripon on Friday night, 83-66. The Scots (13-8, 10-5) clinched a berth in the MWC Tournament earlier this week and will return to Ripon next Friday for the conference semifinals. 

Monmouth got out to an early lead as Kaitlyn Osmulski (Peoria, Illinois) hit a 3-pointer and Josie Morgan (Washington, Illinois) scored on the next possession. The game was tied 9-9 and 11-11 before the Scots took the lead again. Free throws by Morgan gave the Scots a 16-13 lead and a 3-point play by Zoie Wall (Peoria, Illinois) followed. Ripon scored the last four points of the quarter for a 22-21 advantage. 

Ripon went on a 13-2 run to start the second quarter and they led by 12 when Lily Harlan (Washington, Illinois) made all three free throws with 4:13 to go in the half. The Scots cut the lead to five on a layup by Harlan with 30 seconds left in the half before Ripon got the last bucket of the quarter. 

Leading 43-36 at the break, Ripon started the second half on a 6-0 run. The Scots got back to within seven when Morgan made a 3-pointer and the teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter. Harlan's layup to end the third cut Ripon's lead to 61-54. 

The Scots got the deficit to three when Harlan scored just over one minute into the fourth. Ripon responded with a 10-0 run to lead 74-61. The Scots didn't get the deficit back to single digits and the Red Hawks ended the game on a 6-0 run over the final 3:49 to win 83-66.. 

Harlan led the Scots with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Osmulski had 14 points, four assists and three steals while Morgan finished with 12 points. Wall led the Scots with nine rebounds and added two blocks. 

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: With two made 3-pointers, Osmulski has 111 for her career, tied for fifth on the career list with Kelsey Walsberg (2014-16)...She also moved into fourth on the 3-point attempts with with 315…Osmulski has 33 career games of at least 10 points, one shy of 20th on the career list…Morgan moved into a tie for 10th on the single-season 3-point list with 48 makes, pulling even with Walsberg (2015) and Colleen Forrest (2010)...Her 135 attempts rank ninth…Morgan went over 300 points on the season…The Scots will play at Lawrence on Sunday at 3 p.m. in their final regular season game.