Box Score
The women's basketball team appeared to be on its way to an easy victory in the first half of its Midwest Conference game at Grinnell College, then had to hold off a furious rally by the Pioneers before claiming their first league win of the season.
The win by the Prairie Fire (2-4, 1-2 MWC) snapped a three game losing streak. Grinnell (1-5, 0-3 MWC), after winning its season opener, has lost five in a row following the 63-62 Knox win at Darby Gym.
The Fire again had trouble making shots, finishing the game at 31 percent (18-of-58) -- including 2-of-10 from three point range. Free throw shooting, however, proved to be the difference. Knox made 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from the stripe in the first half and 25-of-36 (69.4 percent) overall. The game marked the second in a row that the Prairie Fire shot well from the line. The team came into the game at Carroll making just over 60 percent from the line and connected on 15-of-21. Knox has boosted its season free throw percentage to 65 percent over the last two contests.
The Prairie Fire would need every single made free throw against Grinnell, which shot 34 percent (23-of-68) from the floor in the game but was outscored by 15 points at the line, finishing 10-of-16. The Fire also took advantage of 17 first half turnovers and 23 overall by the Pioneers, and 10 more fouls committed by the hosts (25 to 15).
Grinnell raced out to a 10-4 lead at the 14:43 mark before a 12-0 Prairie Fire run -- which Grinnell, Iowa native -- junior Abby Owens -- capped off with a jump shot at the 9:20 mark of the first half to give her team a 16-10 advantage.
The Fire twice extended the lead to 14 points -- 26-12 with 4:55 left in the first half and 30-16 at the 59 second mark -- but Grinnell answered back. The Pioneers scored the final seven points to cut the Knox lead to 30-23 at the break.
The Grinnell run continued in the second half as the Pioneers scored seven of the first nine points to get within two at 32-30 with 18:41 left in the game. The Prairie Fire twice built the lead back up to seven points, but Grinnell responded each time. On six different occasions, the latest with 1:07 to play, the Pioneers trailed by a point (58-57).
The Prairie Fire made enough free throws down the stretch, 5-of-8, to build a three point lead before Grinnell's Rebecca DeGroot hit a jump shot as time expired and Knox pulled out the win.
The Fire had four players score in double figures, led by junior Krystyna Williams (Evanston, Illinois) with 16. She added seven rebounds, a block and two steals. Three others -- senior Jenny Haskell (Murphys, California), junior Kelly Ricketts (Galesburg, Illinois) and Owens contributed 12 points apiece.
Ricketts was huge at the free throw line, knocking down all 10 of her attempts -- including 4-of-4 shooting in the second half and a pair of makes that extended the Prairie Fire's lead from one to three with 48 seconds left in the game. She also grabbed five rebounds. Haskell led her team with eight boards, blocked two shots and had four steals. Owens was efficient shooting the basketball in her hometown, finishing 4-of-6 overall with a three point basket and three made free throws.
Jessica Vaverka paced Grinnell with 17 points and Kelly Clarke added 11.
The Fire travels to DePere, Wisconsin to play league favorite St. Norbert College Saturday afternoon at 1:00.
The Green Knights own a 5-1 overall record and boast a 3-0 mark in MWC play with lopsided wins at home against Grinnell (88-46) and Monmouth College (66-33) and on the road against Beloit College (74-53). SNC's only loss was a 73-56 setback November 23 at U-W Eau Claire.
