LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Knox College men's basketball team stayed within arm's length of host Lake Forest College throughout the entire game, but could never quite get over the hump and take the lead as the Foresters (8-7, 5-4 Midwest Conference) defeated the Prairie Fire on Saturday afternoon at the Sport & Recreation Center, 86-79. That seven-point difference matched the largest lead of the game in a game that featured nine ties.

The first seven minutes of the game were a back-and-forth affair as the lead changed hands for times. Senior Aidan Derry put Knox on top, 9-7, with two of his career-high 17 points not even three minutes into the contest, and junior Carl Dortch hit a layup two minutes later for a 13-12 edge. But that was the last time the Prairie Fire were on top.

Knox spent the remainder of the first half chasing the Foresters, and occasionally catching them, tying the game at 20 and again at 44 on a free throw by junior Cole Andrews. On his second shot, however, a lane violation was called, denying him an opportunity to give the Prairie Fire the lead at the break, and the two teams went into the locker room tied at 44.

When the two teams returned to the court, Lake Forest scored the first five points, and the Fire responded with five of their own on a Derry bucket and one of three triples from first-year Willie Rogers III. Again Knox fell behind but never by more than six until Alex Forowycz hit a long ball for the Foresters to make it a 75-68 game with 7:50 to play.

Andrews hit three more foul shots, Lake Forest answered back with two. Rogers canned another 3-pointer, so did Forowycz. Finally, Knox made it a one-possession game when Andrews dropped in a layup and forced a turnover, giving the Prairie Fire the ball down two, 80-78, with 1:43 left. But senior Sean Gallery could not get a shot in the lane to fall, and though Knox got the offensive rebound, an offensive foul was called, giving the ball back to the Foresters.

Knox remained within one possession when Lake Forest hit just 1-of-2 at the line, but a turnover — one of 24 on the day — sabotaged the team's opportunity to get back to even.

• Derry hit 8-of-11 field goals, including his only 3-point attempt, in scoring his 17 points.
• Andrews finished up with 14 points thanks to converting all 10 of his free throw attempts, and Gallery, who had started the last 64 games he had played for Knox, came off the bench to provide a dozen.
• All nine of Rogers III's points came from going 3-of-5 from distance, while the rest of the Prairie Fire squad hit just 3-of-19 behind the arc.
• Forowycz, led all players with 28 points to help Lake Forest sweep the season series.
• The road team had won the previous six meetings between the two teams.
• Knox shot better than 80 percent from the line (21-of-26, .808) for the third time this year.

The Prairie Fire will be back at Memorial Gym on Tuesday, Jan. 28, when they host Grinnell College (13-5, 6-3 MWC), which lost its second straight game today, a 102-85 decision at Ripon. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with a live stream and stats available for the game through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College athletics.