GALESBURG, Illinois— The Knox College Prairie Fire men's basketball team lost to the Cornell College Rams today by a score of 85-51. While the Prairie Fire hung tough early on, they were unable to keep up with the pace of the Rams, and as a result they were unable to acquire the victory.
 
The first half saw the Prairie Fire get off to a slow start, one that they would struggle to overcome. Despite shooting 50% from the floor, Knox was unable to keep up with the Cornell defense, as they forced seven Knox turnovers. Deryk Ruple led the way for the Prairie Fire, as he scored eight points and dished out two assists. Unfortunately, Knox was unable to fully stop the Cornell offense, as they penetrated the paint without fail and frustrated the Knox defense. Cornell was able to build up a 17-point lead at the half due to this.
 
The second half did not prove to be more fruitful for the Prairie Fire. Knox shot only 22.6% from the field, as Cornell's defense proved too tough for the Prairie Fire offense to overcome. Blake Godbold scored two points and grabbed six rebounds, showing a decisive force in the paint for Knox. Despite this, Cornell was able to enforce their will inside, pulling in 23 rebounds and generally enforcing their will. Knox's bench could not keep up with their depth, and this led to their final deficit of 34.
 
Knox will travel to Monmouth on Tuesday to battle the Fighting Scots at 7:30 p.m.