Box Score

Knox Sports Information & Nate Beebe

GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire fought back from an early deficit but couldn't get completely over the hump in a 71-66 loss to Carroll University in the first Midwest Conference game of the season for both teams Wednesday night at Memorial Gym.

The Pioneers raced out to a 16-2 lead in the first seven and a half minutes of the game.  Sophomore Jalen Tucker (Nashville, TN, Pope John Paul II) drained a 3-pointer to kick start an 8-0 Knox run that trimmed the deficit to 16-10 midway through the first half.

After Carroll (2-1, 1-0 MWC) snapped the run with a bucket inside, the Prairie Fire ran off seven of the next nine points, capped by sophomore Mike Martin (Metamora, IL, Metamora) draining a trey, and trailed by just one – 20-19 – with six minutes remaining.  The Pioneers built the lead back to six before sophomore Robert Suntken (Naperville, IL, Naperville Central) connected on a 3-point shot to beat the buzzer to draw the Prairie Fire within three, 33-30, at halftime.

The Prairie Fire (0-3, 0-1 MWC) opened the second half with a 9-2 surge for a 39-35 lead.  Knox maintained a 45-43 advantage with 12:25 to play when Carroll rattled off 11 unanswered points over the next three minutes to go up 54-45.

Senior Mitch Murphy (Bushnell, IL, Bushnell-Prairie City) scored five consecutive points and eight altogether during a 10-2 Prairie Fire run to close the gap to 56-55 and force a time out by the Pioneers with about 5:00 left in the game.

Carroll responded with seven straight points to build the lead to 63-55 with 3:19 to go.  Five points by first-year Orlando Brown (Chicago, IL, Hinsdale South) and a jumper by Suntken allowed Knox to whittle the deficit down to four, 66-62, with 1:46 remaining.  The Pioneers answered with a 3-point basket that extended their lead to seven and held off the Prairie Fire the rest of the way.

Knox struggled for the third straight game from the foul line, sinking only 8-of-18 attempts.  Meanwhile, Carroll finished 20-of-36 from the stripe and outrebounded the Prairie Fire 43-36.

"What it came down to at the end was we didn't rebound the shots we were supposed to, we didn't communicate on defense, and they got some open looks and made them," Prairie Fire head coach Kevin Walden said.

The Pioneers shot 54 percent in the second half and finished at 47 percent overall.  Knox connected on 39 percent from the floor against the sticky Carroll defense that came in allowing only 54.5 points per game.

Brown led four Prairie Fire players in double-figure scoring with 15 points.  Martin posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Suntken and Murphy added 12 points apiece.

Knox resumes play at home against Iowa Wesleyan College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.