APPLETON, Wis. — At halftime, Monmouth College trailed the nation's No. 12 team, Lawrence University, by only a point, but the host Vikings pulled away for a 70-60 win to remain alone in first place in the Midwest Conference.
Lawrence opened the second half with a 16-4 run to grab a 50-36 lead, but the Scots battled back, closing to 59-53 on a free throw by Chris Hebeler with just over five minutes left. The Vikings, however, scored the game's next seven points to end Monmouth's upset hopes.
The Scots, now 7-8 overall and 4-5 in the MWC, had no starters in double figures, but two reserves did provide a spark. Loyd Bowen scored a team-high 14 points, while Jason Murren led all players with 13 rebounds and three blocks.
All-American Chris Braier had 18 points and 12 boards for LU.