GALESBURG, Illinois—The Prairie Fire picked up a crucial conference win in a defensive battle with the Beloit Buccaneers. The game saw less than 100 points total, but it was surely not short on excitement. The Fire carried a seven point lead into the second half and were able to ride that wave out for the rest of the game holding on for a 50-48 victory.
 
Knox trailed 16-2 early in first half, but used a 23-2 run to take a 25-18 lead into halftime. The Buccaneers slowly crept back into the game in the second half, but never retook the lead. The Prairie Fire defense held strong in the end to only allow three points by Beloit in the final two minutes.
 
Jonathan Damota was the court general on this night, finishing with 19 points and four rebounds while willing his team to victory with some clutch free throws late in the second half. Deryk Ruple also had a stellar performance with 13 points and DJ Lewis finished with five points and tied with Blake Godbold for a team-high eight rebounds. The Fire are now 3-9 on the season and 1-6 in Midwest Conference play.
 
Knox will look for another big win at home when they battle Lake Forest College for basketball homecoming on January 13.