It was pretty early on when the Fighting Scots used a 19-0 run to take a 26-9 lead, but the Pioneers chipped away until halftime, closing to 55-53 at the break. Grinnell even pulled ahead 65-63 early in the second half, but Tucker Blaser helped the Scots regain control, coming up with several big baskets, including a hoop that put Monmouth up 111-100 with two minutes left.
Blaser, who finished with 24 points and six rebounds, was a big part of the story, and so was Travis Miller, who had his second triple-double against Grinnell. The smooth senior scored 16 points, dished out 11 assists and pulled down 10 rebounds. Anthony Beaird added 18 points, Joe Terwelp netted 17 and Loyd Bowen finished with 12.
Grinnell continued its recent trend of being very shaky from beyond the arc, converting just 16-of-65 attempts. Overall, the Pioneers shot 38-of-108 from the field. They were led by Eric Walsh, who scored 19.
The victory evened the Scots' record at 5-5 overall and 2-2 in the MWC.