Box Score

Knox Sports Information & Nate Beebe

GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire blistered the nets in the second half and defeated Iowa Wesleyan College 93-76 Tuesday night at Memorial Gym.

Knox never trailed in the game and handed the Tigers their first loss of the season.  The matchup was the first between the two schools in men's basketball in exactly 19 years.  The Prairie Fire downed Iowa Wesleyan 82-70 at home on November 25, 1995.

Knox (1-3) started strong, racing out to a 16-5 lead six minutes into the contest.  The Prairie Fire extended the advantage to 30-17 midway through the first half on a basket by sophomore Mike Martin (Metamora, IL, Metamora) when IWC put a run together.

The Tigers (3-1) outscored Knox 18-8 over the next seven minutes to slice the deficit to 38-35.  The Prairie Fire answered with seven straight points over the final 2:49 of the first half for a 45-35 lead at the break.

Knox scored on its first five possessions of the second half.  Sophomore Deandre Weathersby (Chicago, IL, Kenwood Academy) scored four quick points, Martin followed with a basket, and first-year Orlando Brown (Chicago, IL, Hinsdale South) knocked down two shots to stretch the lead to 55-37 a little over two minutes in – prompting IWC to call a time out.

The Prairie Fire took their biggest lead of the game, 69-41, following a three-point play by sophomore Robert Suntken (Naperville, IL, Naperville Central) with 14:21 remaining.  Knox built the big lead thanks to a 24-6 run during the opening five-plus minutes of the second half.

"The first five minutes of the second half was the best basketball we've played all year as far as execution, running our offense and sets the way we are supposed to, and limiting them on the defensive end," Prairie Fire head coach Kevin Walden said.

Iowa Wesleyan entered the game averaging 90 points in their first three contests, all wins.

Knox shot 56 percent in the second half and 50 percent (35-of-70) overall while holding the Tigers to 39 percent (24-of-61).  The Prairie Fire are still trying to find the touch at the free throw line after knocking down 15-of-26 (58 percent).

Knox converted 24 Iowa Wesleyan turnovers into 28 points and outrebounded the Tigers 46-32.

Walden said winning on the glass was a focus going in.  "We knew we had a size advantage, and we told the guys before the game that we need to rebound the ball on both ends of the floor, limit them, and get extra possessions."

Weathersby and Brown led the Prairie Fire in scoring with 20 points each.  The two combined to shot 16-of-23 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from behind the 3-point line.  Brown also grabbed 11 rebounds to post his first double-double of the season.  Suntken added 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds.  Martin and sophomore Liam Nash (Nashville, TN, University School of Nashville) chipped in with nine points apiece.

The next test for Knox is a difficult one.  The Prairie Fire visit Augustana College Saturday night at 7:30.  The Vikings (4-0) moved up to the #1 ranking in NCAA Division III in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.  Augustana was ranked #3 in the preseason poll.