Box Score
Galesburg, Ill. – The Prairie Fire rallied from a double-digit deficit but couldn't complete the comeback in an 87-81 loss to Illinois College at Memorial Gym on Tuesday.
The Blueboys (8-5, 4-4 MWC) scored the first seven points of the game. A basket by first-year
Mike Martin (Metamora, IL, Metamora) got Knox on the board at the 17:49 mark.
The Prairie Fire followed with 3-point baskets from senior
Eric Miller (Villa Park, IL, Willowbrook), junior
Mitch Murphy (Bushnell, IL, Bushnell-Prairie City), and first-year
Deandre Weathersby (Chicago, IL, Kenwood Academy) to cut the IC advantage to 15-11 with 12:55 to go in the first half.
Illinois College rolled off seven unanswered points to grab the first double-figure lead of the game, 22-11, a little over a minute later. A jumper by senior
David Jones (Denver, CO, Colorado Academy/Air Force Academy) on the next Knox possession stopped the run and, briefly, cut the deficit to nine (22-13).
IC found the range over the next nine minutes and extended the lead to 39-20, capped off by Zeke Light's 3-pointer with 2:28 remaining.
The Prairie Fire held the Blueboys to one field goal the rest of the half but managed to score just five points of their own -- a jumper by Weathersby and three free throws by Murphy – and trailed 41-25 at the intermission.
Illinois College shot a blistering 60 percent through the first 20 minutes, including 5-of-12 from 3-point range. Knox (1-12, 0-8 MWC) connected for 33 percent from the floor with three of the nine field goals made coming from long distance.
IC also outscored the Prairie Fire 12-0 on points off of turnovers. The Blueboys recorded only four miscues while Knox had eight in the first stanza.
The Prairie Fire found their shooting touch in the second half, which started with Jones sinking a jumper. Knox went on an 8-0 run, which featured a pair of treys by Murphy and two free throws by Miler, and sliced the Illinois College advantage to 48-40 with 15:50 to play.
The Blueboys answered with an 18-8 spurt over the next four minutes to stretch the lead to 66-48.
The Prairie Fire continued to fight, rolling off 24 of the next 36 points to make it a two-possession game at 78-72 with 1:19 remaining.
Knox, however, was unable to get a much-needed stop on the defensive end as IC used most of the shot clock and scored on a jumper with 50 seconds to go – extending the lead to 80-72.
The Prairie Fire pulled to within five at 82-77 after Miller swished a pair of foul shots with 25 seconds left in regulation.
Illinois College held on for the win by sticking 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch.
Knox shot 56 percent in the second half and outscored the Blueboys 56-46. The Prairie Fire wound up shooting 46 percent overall, netted 8-of-22 (36 percent) 3-point attempts, and went 17-of-21 (81 percent) from the free throw line.
The Blueboys had a strong shooting game, hitting nearly 58 percent from the floor after halftime and finishing at 59 percent overall – including 9-of-21 (43 percent) from 3-point range. IC also made 12-of-16 (75 percent) foul shots in the second half.
The Prairie Fire edged Illinois College on the glass 30-27 and committed only 11 turnovers – just three in the second half -- while forcing 13.
Jones led Knox in scoring with 19 points. Miller added a season-high 17 points and Weathersby had a career-best 16 along with two steals. Murphy also reached double-figures with 14 points while Martin just missed a double-double with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Nathan Kohler, a Kewanee Wethersfield High School graduate, paced Illinois College with 21 points and dished out seven assists.
The loss was the eighth straight for Knox against IC since a 67-63 win at home in February of 2010.
The Prairie Fire resume play against Carroll University at Memorial Gym on Saturday at 1:00.
The Pioneers (8-6, 5-4 MWC) defeated Knox
94-58 in the first meeting between the teams this season in Waukesha, Wisconsin on January 4. Carroll beat Beloit College 67-54 at home on Tuesday night, the Pioneers' fourth win in their last five games.
