GALESBURG, Ill. — The fortunes of the Knox College men's basketball team and its counterpart just down the road, Monmouth College, have gone in different directions this year, but it took every effort by the visiting Fighting Scots to escape Memorial Gymnasium with a victory, fending off the Prairie Fire, 92-87. Monmouth remained atop the Midwest Conference standings with the win, improving to 9-2 in the league and 15-5 on the season, while Knox dropped to 1-9 in conference play and 4-15 overall.

Cameron Thomas led the Fighting Scots with 25 points while the reigning MWC Performer of the Week, Zay Brown, nearly matched him with 24 as the duo knocked down 21-of-31 field goals. Senior Sean Gallery had 24 points for the Prairie Fire and sophomore Josh Stewart led all players with 10 rebounds.

Gallery may have started the game with a three-point play, but Monmouth countered with a 10-point run capped by a Jordan Hill 3-pointer. The Scots built up the lead to 13, 20-7, on another trifecta, this time courtesy of Thomas, before Stewart knocked down a three-ball of his own to start the Prairie Fire on the comeback trail.

Knox gradually whittled away at the double-digit deficit, and when first-year Brandon Cooley drilled a 3-pointer with under two minutes left to the intermission, the Fire were down just two. A Gallery layup provided the final points of the stanza, leaving Knox down a single point, 43-42.

The Prairie Fire got over the hump and took a two-point lead, 51-49, early in the second half on back-to-back shots from downtown by junior Cole Andrews (11 points) and first-year Willie Rogers III. That seemed to light a fire under Monmouth as it scored the next 11 points, all from Thomas and Brown.

Again, Knox would not go away. An eight-point spurt, highlighted by a 3-pointer from first-year Daunte Smith and capped by a Gallery driving layup, put the hosts back on top, 81-79, with 4:24 to play. But the Fighting Scots scored eight straight points themselves. And while Monmouth was just 16-of-31 from the line for the game, it hit them when needed most, going 5-of-6 at the charity stripe during the final 33 seconds to hold on for the five-point victory.

• Gallery has had 10 games this season with at least 20 points and 20 in his career.
• Gallery, who has attempted more free throws than all but six Division III players this season, was a perfect 8-of-8 at the line.
• Galesburg native Carl Dortch provided 12 points off the bench for the Prairie Fire, his fourth game in double figures this season.
• Monmouth shot an even 50 percent from the floor (34-of-68) and 38.1 percent (8-of-21) from distance, compared to 43.5 percent (30-of-69) and 30 percent (9-of-30) for Knox.
• The Fighting Scots have won the last five meetings with each contest decided by no more than seven points.

The Prairie Fire will next attempt to avenge a six-point home loss to Lawrence University (5-15, 3-8 MWC) when they travel to Appleton, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m. with a live stream and stats available through PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College athletics.