MONMOUTH, Illinois - The Prairie Fire men's basketball team defeated Monmouth 79-72 on Saturday afternoon. It was the first road victory for the Prairie Fire over Monmouth since the 2011-12 season.

Isaiah Lockett put Knox on the board early with a layup in the first minute of the game. The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 7-4 lead, but the rest of the first half was back and forth. The Prairie Fire went into halftime with a 37-34 lead after a hotly contested first half.

Sean Gallery hit a three-pointer in the opening minute of the second half and Knox soon jumped out to a double-digit lead. The Prairie Fired led by as many as 18 points, but Monmouth fought back in the closing minutes to bring the game to single digits. Jordan Rayner knocked down four free throws in the last 34 seconds of the game to clinch a victory for the Prairie Fire.

Rayner led Knox with 21 points thanks to a 7-for-8 showing from the charity stripe. Lockett picked up a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Aiden Derry added 13 points and Duane Goodman, Jr. tallied 12 points.

"This was a good game for us after a string of tough losses," said head coach Ben Davis. "We know we always have to get up for the Monmouth rivalry games and we definitely did that today. We will look for this to help us get back on track and finish the season strong."

Knox returns to action as they host Lawrence on February 1.