Lake Forest, IL – A big second half lifted Lake Forest College past the Prairie Fire 116-104 in Midwest Conference play on Wednesday.

Knox led by as many as 10 points in the first half, 39-29 at the 5:23 mark.  LFC countered with an 11-0 run for a 40-39 advantage with 3:47 to go.  The Prairie Fire held its final lead of the half at 43-42 with 2:37 remaining before the Foresters scored six of the last eight points to go up 48-45 at the intermission.

Lake Forest (12-10, 11-6), which clinched a berth in the 2012 Midwest Conference Tournament with the victory, shot 30 percent in the first half.  The Foresters, instead, took advantage of opportunities at the free throw line, sinking 20-of-26 attempts. 

Knox (4-18, 4-13) shot 27 percent in the opening stanza, including 7-of-35 (20 percent) from 3-point range.  The Prairie Fire made 8-of-13 at the foul line, where LFC held a 12 point edge in the half.

The teams traded leads in the second half.  The Prairie Fire held an eight point advantage at 86-78 with 9:51 remaining.  A 12-0 run gave the Foresters a 90-86 lead about 2:30 minutes later.

Knox tied the game at 90-90 and 92-92, but never reclaimed the lead.  LFC opened up a double-digit advantage, 113-102, at the 1:08 mark.

The Foresters shot 67 percent in the second half and outscored the Prairie Fire 68-59.  Knox also shot better in the second half, knocking down 40 percent from the floor.  The Fire never got into a rhythm from behind the 3-point arc and finished the game 9-of-51 (18 percent).  Knox shot 37-of-106 (35 percent) overall and sank 21-of-30 free throws.

Lake Forest, which committed 40 turnovers, was 42-of-89 (47 percent) shooting in the game and 32-of-44 from the foul line.  The Foresters grabbed 81 rebounds in the contest, 28 of them on the offensive end. 

Senior Abby Owens (Grinnell, IA, Grinnell) had her second straight big offensive game, scoring a career-high 22 points – including six 3-pointers – to lead the Prairie Fire.  Senior Krystyna Williams (Evanston, IL, Evanston Township) added 21 points, first-year Becky Duffy (Chicago, IL, Northside Prep) had 11 and junior Kristin McDonald (Chicago, IL, Regina Dominican) chipped in with 10.

Sam Schuring and Gina Ambrose scored 25 points apiece for the Foresters.

Knox plays its final game of the season on Saturday at home against Monmouth College.  The Fighting Scots (13-9, 12-5 MWC) snapped Illinois College’s six game winning streak with a 75-57 victory on Wednesday at home.

The Prairie Fire seniors and their parents will be recognized after the game against Monmouth, which is scheduled to tip off at 3:00 p.m.

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