KENOSHA, Wis. — While senior Sean Gallery, the second leading scorer in the Midwest Conference, recorded his customary 20 points despite early foul trouble, the Knox College men's basketball team could not keep up with host Carthage College on Saturday evening as the Firebirds (6-2) doused the Prairie Fire (2-5) in claiming a 95-69 victory at Tarble Arena.

Gallery wasn't the only Knox player to deal with foul issues as the Prairie Fire were whistled for 26 fouls that led to 39 free throw attempts and 34 Carthage points. Riley Brooks led four Firebirds in double figures, matching Gallery's 20 points while A.J. Johnson added 19 and Ryan Johnson 18 more, half coming at the foul line.

The game began ominously for Knox as Carthage rattled off the first eight points. But the Prairie Fire answered right back with eight points supplied by four different players. The Firebirds converted a pair at the charity stripe, and junior Carl Dortch tied the game right back up at 10 with a layup. But Knox could not quite take the lead and Carthage took off with a 19-3 run and never led by fewer than 11 the rest of the night, though junior Cole Andrews hit a 3-pointer and Dortch added a layup just before halftime to close the gap to 12, 43-31.

The Firebirds started the second half with seven straight points and soon led by 20. The difference oscillated between 19 and 22 points for over five minutes before Carthage, which hit just 7-of-30 3-pointers (.233) in the game, hit three in a 3-minute span for its largest lead 83-50 with six minutes to play. The Knox reserves, which provided more than half (38) of the team's point total, were able to cut into that deficit by seven points by the time the final horn sounded.

• Gallery scored his 20 points in 19 minutes after sitting for a large chunk of the first half with two fouls.
• Junior Russell Wright was the only other Prairie Fire player to score in double figures with 12 points on 4-of-5 from the floor and at the line.
• Carthage beat Knox on the boards, 42-40, the first time this season the Prairie Fire (19th in the country in rebound margin) did not have the rebounding advantage.
• Sophomore Jayden McNabb scored his first collegiate points with a pair of field goals.
• These two teams had not met since the 1956-57 campaign, and the Firebirds now lead the series, 9-6.

Knox (0-1 Midwest Conference) will dive right back into league play on Wednesday Dec. 11, when Lawrence University (2-6, 0-2 MWC) comes to Memorial Gymnasium. The game will begin following the conclusion of the women's game, approximately 7:30 p.m., with live video and stats available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College athletics.