Nayeli Nidez Acuña
Knox College
Nayeli Nidez Acuña score a career-high 28 points for the second time in the last four games.
83
Knox KC 3-5,2-1 Midwest Conference
90
Winner Millikin MIL-U 4-4,1-1 CCIW
Knox KC
3-5,2-1 Midwest Conference
83
Final
90
Millikin MIL-U
4-4,1-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Knox KC 17 21 19 26 83
Millikin MIL-U 22 28 16 24 90

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Early Hole Too Big to Climb Out of at Millikin

After falling behind by as many as 15 in the second half, Knox closed to within one before coming up short

DECATUR, Ill. — The Knox College women's basketball team fell into an early hole and could not quite come all the way back in a 90-83 loss at Millikin University on Tuesday evening. Nikkel Johnson scored a game-high 35 points for the host Big Blue (4-4) to overcome 28 points from sophomore Nayeli Nidez Acuña for the Prairie Fire (3-5).

For nearly the entire first quarter, the two teams were never separated by more than two points with four lead changes and nine ties in the period. But after junior Bria Medina — named the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week just yesterday — scored three the hard way to give Knox a 17-16 lead, Millikin scored the final six points of the stanza, the last three on a long ball by Kyleigh Heimsness to put the Big Blue up five, 22-17.

A 13-2 Millikin run in the second quarter ballooned its lead from three to 14 points at 39-25. The Big Blue continued to keep the Prairie Fire at arm's length all the way to the intermission, taking a 50-38 advantage into the locker room, thanks in large part to 22 points from Johnson.

The Knox deficit remained in double digits throughout nearly the entire third quarter, reaching as many as 15 points at 59-44. But a 3-pointer by first-year Xiyah Yarbrough and a pair of free throws by Medina (who finished with 22 points) in the final 30 seconds finally whittled the Millikin lead back to single digits entering the final period, 66-57.

When Nidez Acuña started the stretch run with a three-point play and another bucket, Knox was suddenly within four. With three minutes to go, the Big Blue were still up by five, 77-72, when Yarbrough and Nidez Acuña each hit jumpers to get Knox within one for the first time since late in the first quarter. But try as they might, the Prairie Fire could not take the lead or get back to even as Hannah Ermeling hit her fourth and final triple in response, and Millikin hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal its victory.

  • Nidez Acuña matched her career high (that she set on Nov. 25) with those 28 points by knocking down 13-of-16 field goals (.813) and 2-of-3 at the charity stripe.
  • Those 13 field goals match the most made by any Prairie Fire player in the last 25 years.
  • Medina, the second-leading scorer in Division III, has topped 20 points in all eight games this season and posted her first double-double of the season and third of her career by matching a personal best with 10 rebounds.
  • Senior and Galesburg native Carly Smith also had 10 boards for the Prairie Fire, matching her season high, and junior Brook Pieper produced 10 points in her second game with Knox.
  • Millikin is now 11-2 against the Prairie Fire, but the two just restarted the series last season with Knox winning the matchup last year in Galesburg, 84-74.

Knox will have a tough test for its next assignment as nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (5-1) comes to Galesburg on Saturday for a showdown at Memorial Gymnasium at 3 p.m. The Warhawks, 11th in the D3Hoops.com poll and 10th in the coaches poll this week, are coming off their first loss of the season at Calvin College two weeks ago. The game will be streamed live with stats available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College Athletics.

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