MONMOUTH, Ill. - With the help of a career performance by Kate Tomczik '22, Grinnell College's women's basketball team nearly handed Monmouth College its first loss in Midwest Conference play.

The Pioneers were within a point midway through the fourth quarter before falling to the Fighting Scots 70-61 Wednesday.

Tomczik scored her second double-double of the season, tallying a career-high 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds as the Pioneers moved to 2-4 in the league and 4-8 overall. Her point total is the second-highest for a Grinnell player this season.

Additionally, Tomczik had a career-best two blocks to go along with three steals. Tyria Heath '21 scored 15 points and Daria Guzzo '19 and Sasha Thomas '22 added eight each. Thomas contributed a career-best three assists, the same total as Heath, while Mikayla Kricfalusi '20 blocked two shots.

The Pioneers dug themselves out of a hole in the second half after trailing 16-8 after one period and 34-24 at intermission. Grinnell got back into contention right away in the third quarter, as Thomas buried a 3-pointer and Guzzo scored from close range to make it 34-29.

Grinnell twice sliced the gap to two in the ensuing minutes, and to one when Sofia Ahooja '22 drained a 3-pointer to make it a 45-44 game. Monmouth built its lead to five by the end of the period and was up by eight early in the fourth quarter when Grinnell again charged. Kricfalusi made a jumper, and Heath added a free throw and then a jumper to make it 58-55 with 6:20 remaining.

After Monmouth went up by five, the Pioneers again made things interesting when Tomczik scored in the paint and followed with a jumper to bring the visitors within 60-59 with 4:12 to go. However, the Fighting Scots went on a key six-point run and held on from there to improve to 5-0 in the MWC and 10-2 overall.

Grinnell is on the road again Saturday, facing Ripon College at 1 p.m.