PEORIA, Ill. — With six days before opening day for the Knox College women's basketball team, the Prairie Fire got to test their mettle at nearby Division I foe Bradley University on Saturday afternoon at Renaissance Coliseum. The host Braves, with a noticeable size advantage, sent Knox back to Galesburg with a 104-69 defeat.

Even with the lopsided score, the Prairie Fire players were able to display the hustle and offensive firepower they have been known for of late with four players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore guard Bria Media with 14 points and three assists. Senior Brianna Arizmendi had the most efficient performance, hitting all four of her shots in scoring 11 points while adding six rebounds, two assists, two steals and both of Knox's blocked shots, despite only playing 22 minutes due to some early foul trouble.

First-year forward Nayeli Nidez Acuña got her first taste of intercollegiate play and just missed out on a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, while junior Kylee Callahan contributed 11 points in only 18 minutes, also due to foul trouble. Junior Audrey Drapeau, a transfer from Minnesota West Community College, showed off her sharp-shooting skills, going 4-for-5 from the floor with a 3-pointer for nine points, and fifth-year Haylee Carpenter knocked down a pair of treys as well.

• The score was tied at nine for the first five minutes before Arizmendi picked up her second foul and went to the bench. Bradley then went on a run to take a 26-14 lead by the end of the quarter.
• Bradley's Tamia Perryman came off the bench to lead all players with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go with a game-high six steals.
• Knox shot 38.5 percent (24-of-64) of its field goals but was just 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from behind the arc.
• The size advantage showed up in the rebounding numbers, which ended up 48-29 in the Braves' favor.

Knox will open the season on Friday, Nov. 8 at the Loras Tip-Off Classic where the Prairie Fire will take on host Loras College, a team which ousted Knox in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Lillis Athletic & Wellness Center with live video and stats available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College athletics.