Box Score GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire got over the hump against Monmouth College after more than a decade with an impressive 111-90 Midwest Conference win on Tuesday at Memorial Gym.
Three days after setting a new school record with 18 3-point baskets in a
123-71 win over Lawrence University, Knox hit 17 triples – 10 of them in the first half – and snapped a 25-game losing streak against the Fighting Scots that dated back to the 2002-03 season.
Monmouth (7-10, 6-6 MWC), coming off an big win at home against MWC leader St. Norbert College, scored the first basket of the game. The Prairie Fire knotted the contest on two free throws by first-year
Carley Bechen (Eugene, OR, Churchill) and then grabbed the lead when junior
Jasmine Binion (Davenport, IA, Assumption) connected from 3-point range at the 17:37 mark.
Knox led the rest of the way.
The Prairie Fire (8-9, 6-6 MWC) staked to its first double-figure advantage at 21-9 on a 3-point basket by senior
Jessica Howard (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) about four minutes later. The Scots whittled the deficit to five at 45-40 with about three minutes left in the half, but a 9-0 run gave Knox a 14 point cushion.
The Prairie Fire took a 50-40 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Knox shot 39 percent (18-of-46) overall in the first half, including 10-of-33 from behind the 3-point line, and knocked down 8-of-15 foul shots. Monmouth hit 48 percent (15-of-31) from the floor but made only 12-of-26 free throws. The Prairie Fire also forced the Fighting Scots into 14 turnovers that led to 16 points.
Monmouth cut the deficit to seven, 58-51, two minutes into the second half. Binion, sophomore
Aly Eastman (Kewanee, IL, Wethersfield), and sophomore
Molly Lascelles (Ipava, IL, VIT) each drained 3-pointers as part of an 11-2 run that extended the Knox lead to 69-53 with 16:47 left.
The Scots got as close as 71-57 a little over two minutes later. The Prairie Fire pushed the lead back up to 20 on two free throws by first-year
Elena Angueira-Bosch (Isabela, Puerto Rico, Spires Academy). The margin grew to 27 on a free throw by first-year
Kayla Brown (Roseville, CA, Wilton Christian) that put Knox in front 103-76 with 6:45 to play.
Monmouth was unable to get any closer than 17 points.
Senior
Jodi Marver (Northbrook, IL, Glenbrook North) led the Prairie Fire with 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Howard was also in double-figures with 17 points. Binion, Eastman, and Bechen added nine points apiece as 14 players scored in the game for Knox.
The Prairie Fire shot 34 percent (32-of-95) overall and 17-of-60 from 3-point range while sinking 30-of-44 free throws. The Fighting Scots shot 45.5 percent (30-of-66) for the game and wound up 27-of-53 from the foul line. Knox also held a 33-15 advantage in points off of turnovers after forcing 27 miscues by Monmouth.
Kelsey Walsberg scored a game-high 25 points for the Fighting Scots.
Knox plays its next three games on the road with a chance to move up in the Midwest Conference standings.
The Prairie Fire meet Lawrence for the second time in a week on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. before squaring off against Cornell College on February 4 at 5:30 p.m. and wrapping up the trip at Lake Forest College on February 7 at 3:00 p.m.
