Box Score
The Prairie Fire couldn't pull off two straight upsets to close out the 2010-11 season.
Knox hung close with Midwest Conference rival Monmouth College most of the game Saturday afternoon at Glennie Gym -- the regular season finale for both teams -- before the Fighting Scots (15-8, 13-5 MWC) went on a big run over the final four minutes to post a 58-44 victory.
Monmouth completed the season sweep of the Prairie Fire after also winning 70-59 January 8 at Memorial Gymnasium and clinches second place in the MWC. The Scots are in the Midwest Conference Tournament for the first time since 1998. Monmouth concluded the regular season with a 9-2 record at home. The Scots will play whoever clinches the conference's #3 spot in the standings in the conference tournament at St. Norbert College later this month. Carroll University, Illinois College and Lake Forest College all entered Saturday’s action vying for the two spots remaining in the tourney.
The Prairie Fire, despite shooting 5-of-25 (20 percent), trailed by only seven points -- 25-18 -- at halftime. The Scots made 9-of-26 (35 percent) first half shots and led by as many as eight points (21-13) at the 4:16 mark. Knox cut the deficit to three (21-18) on a layup by senior Jenny Haskell (Murphys, California) with 1:35 to play before Monmouth finished on a 4-0 run.
The Scots outscored the Prairie Fire 10-2 in the paint and benefitted from eight points off of seven Knox turnovers while the Fire scored three points off of nine Monmouth miscues.
The Fighting Scots extended the lead to nine on three occasions in the first 2:30 of the second half, and each time Knox answered back to stay close. Sophomore Kristin McDonald (Chicago, Illinois) scored at the 11:29 mark to cut the Monmouth advantage to 35-33. The Scots responded with an 8-1 run for a 43-35 lead with 8:30 to go in the game.
Junior Kelly Ricketts (Galesburg, Illinois) scored with 4:00 to play to cut into Monmouth’s lead and make it a one possession game at 47-44.
The Scots put the contest away after the bucket by Ricketts, outscoring Knox 11-0 to pick up the hard-earned the win. A basket by Marla Willard started the run and the Scots made 5-of-7 free throws down the stretch.
Haskell ended her Prairie Fire basketball career with 11 points and three steals. The Fire's two starting junior post players, Ricketts and Krystyna Williams (Evanston, Illinois) combined for 17 points and 20 rebounds. First-year guard Chantal Heckman (Chicago, Illinois) had her best offensive game of the season with eight points, six coming from a pair of three-point baskets.
Knox, which shot 9-of-26 (35 percent) in the second half and 27.5 percent overall, ends the season with a 6-17 record -- including a 5-13 mark in Midwest Conference play.
The Fighting Scots, who held a 28-14 scoring advantage in the paint, had three players score in double figures. Haley Jones, Willard and Maddie Nieukirk had 11 points apiece. The Monmouth bench outscored the Prairie Fire's reserves 29-8. The Scots hit 12-of-27 second half shots (44 percent) and ended the game at 40 percent.
Knox had momentum going into the game after knocking off Lake Forest College 52-47 Wednesday on Senior Night at Memorial Gymnasium. The win was the Prairie Fire’s first against the Foresters since the 1986-87 season.
Monmouth College has now won 18 straight games against Knox in women’s basketball. The last Prairie Fire victory, 60-58, occurred in the second game between the schools during the 2001-02 season.
photo above courtesy of Laura Mack
