MONMOUTH, Ill. - After letting a sizable lead escape against Monmouth College last month, the Grinnell College men's basketball team was seeking revenge Saturday.

Mission accomplished.

Thanks to one of the best 3-point shooting performances in program history, Grinnell opened up a 72-51 halftime lead and held on down the stretch to dispose of the Fighting Scots 119-109 in a Midwest Conference test.

The victory was huge in many ways for the Pioneers, as it snapped an eight-game losing streak, a 10-game skid in the MWC and marked their first victory of the new year.

Grinnell (7-14, 3-10 MWC) hit 24-of-43 shots from 3-point land for a 55.8 percent clip, eighth-best in program history. That figure and the 56.9 percent success rate from the field are both season-bests.

Included in Grinnell's previous losing streak was an 85-74 loss at home to Monmouth (12-10, 8-5 MWC) on Jan. 11, a contest in which the Pioneers led by 24 points in the second half before succumbing.

That was not to be the case on Saturday. The Pioneers burst out to a 13-4 lead in the first two minutes thanks in part to 3-pointers by Brady Vest '23, Jackson Leone '25 and Adam Phillips '23.

The Fighting Scots rallied with a big run, going up 16-15 before the Pioneers answered as Mitch Priest '25 hit a pair of 3-pointers and Moze Thurmgreene '23 another as the visitors built a 24-18 edge.

Grinnell continued to pour it on, twice building a 26-point edge before going into the locker room with a 72-51 lead. The first-half point total was Grinnell's second-highest this season.

The Pioneers maintained their edge in the second half, though Monmouth rallied towards the end to close within eight at the 1:26 mark and then seven with 48 seconds left.

However, Vest made a free throw and Dillon Gestring '25 added two to secure the victory.

Priest had a superb day with career-highs of 21 points, six 3-pointers and seven field goals overall. His success rate from 3-point land (75 percent) is 11th in program history.

Aiden Gilbert '23 added 14 points for Grinnell, Gestring and Phillips scored 12 apiece and Zach Rosen '26 had a career-best 10. Jordon Ryan '24 added four rebounds, Dean Mazlish '23 dished out seven assists and Mazlish, Gilbert, Sean Walser '26 and Tolu Johnson '25 had two steals each.

Grinnell is back in action Wednesday against Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m.