APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University women's basketball team used a stifling defensive effort and an offensive outburst over the final 10 minutes Sunday to down Monmouth College 68-54 in a Midwest Conference game at Alexander Gymnasium.
    Lawrence outscored the Scots 24-1 in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory. 
    Kenya Earl and Lydia Lueck led a balanced Lawrence attack with 16 points apiece. Earl added eight rebounds and two blocks while Lueck picked up three rebounds and a pair of steals. Maggie Culver added 15 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists for the Vikings (10-12, 7-7 MWC).
    Despite the win, Lawrence was eliminated from contention for the Midwest Conference Tournament because of Illinois College's victory over Cornell College.
    Josie Morgan, Jordan Kintigh and Tarae Warner had 11 points apiece for Monmouth (13-9, 10-6). 
    Lawrence trailed 53-44 entering the fourth quarter, but Culver hit a jumper on the first possession for the Vikings. Lawrence scored the first eight points of the quarter as Lueck followed with a pair of free throws before baskets by Mallory Meyer and Delaney Brooks trimmed the lead to 53-52.
    Monmouth got its only point of the quarter on a Lily Harlan free throw with 4:51 left, and Libby Crandall immediately tied it at 54-54 when she hit a jumper on Lawrence's next possession.
    Brooks then buried a 3-pointer to give the Vikings the lead for good, and Earl followed with a pair of free throws for a 59-54 edge. 
    Culver drained a corner 3-pointer to put the Vikings up 62-54 with 2:07 left, and the Vikings were really in control. Earl scored the next three points, and Lueck hit three free throws in the final 29 seconds to close out the scoring.
    Lawrence held Monmouth to 0-for-12 shooting from the floor in the final quarter, and the Vikings forced five turnovers over the final 10 minutes.
    The Vikings went 7-for-13 from the floor in the fourth quarter and hit both of their 3-point attempts. 
    Monmouth jumped out to an 18-7 lead in the first quarter, but the Vikings battled back. Lawrence went on a 10-0 run, capped by Culver's 3-pointer early in the second quarter, to cut the lead to 18-17.
    The Vikings regained the lead at 24-23, and Monmouth led 33-30 at the half.
    The Scots posted a 20-point third quarter to take a nine-point lead headed to the fourth before the Vikings shut them down.
    Earl finished her storied career with 1,610 points and is the school's career scoring leader. She also finished second on the career rebounding list with 794.