MONMOUTH, Ill. – Grinnell College's women's basketball team will go into next weekend's Midwest Conference Tournament riding high after Saturday afternoon's 67-52 victory at Monmouth College.
 
The decision allowed Grinnell to tie for second place in the MWC, its highest finish since the league switched over from divisional play in the early 1990s. In the process, Grinnell extended its winning string to seven games, its longest streak in 35 years.
 
The Pioneers wrapped up the regular season with an 18-7 mark, the program's highest win total in 35 seasons, and concluded MWC play at 12-4, their highest league victory total since 2017.
 
The game was close after one quarter, with Grinnell leading just 14-12 before the visitors all but put things away with a 22-9 edge in the second frame for a 36-21 halftime lead.
 
Bailey Strovers '27 led the way for Grinnell, recording one of her many double-doubles this season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Nikki Ware '25 was also in double figures with 11 points and Sara Booher '25, who tied the school record for games played in a career with 94, added eight points and nine rebounds. Juniper Schwartzman '27 pulled down eight rebounds.
 
Skylar Thomas '26, Strovers and Cassidy Pak '28 each had two assists and Grace Marsh '26 tallied a career-high three steals. Booher blocked four shots.
 
Leading by just two entering the second period, the Pioneers went on an 11-1 run to pull away. After a layup by Booher, Monmouth got a free throw. Ware followed with a 3-pointer and four free throws and Strovers scored from close range for a 25-13 lead.
 
Grinnell kept it up from there, pushing its 15-point halftime lead to 51-34 by the end of three quarters as Monmouth fell to 5-20 overall and 2-14 in the MWC.
 
Ware now ranks 12^th in career free throws made at Grinnell with 221 and Strovers is 12^th in 3-pointers with 73. On the all-time season chart, Booher ranks second in rebounds with 265 and Strovers is 10^th at 221. As a team, the Pioneers' 1,108 rebounds this season and 390 free throws are both second all-time. The Pioneers have 565 field goals in 2024-25, which is sixth-best.
 
Grinnell will face Lawrence University in the MWC Tourney Friday at Ripon, Wis. The teams tied at 12-4 in the MWC standings, but Lawrence earned the second seed and Grinnell the third via the head-to-head tie-breaker. Tip-off for the semifinal is 7 p.m.