RIPON, WI. – With the game on the line and plays needing to be made, the Knox College men's basketball team delivered on defense. They went on the road and defeated Ripon, 81-77, on Saturday afternoon.

Leading 79-77 with 12 seconds left, Noah Campbell hit one of two free throws to put the Prairie Fire (7-11 overall, 3-6 in the Midwest Conference) up three. After a Ripon timeout, the Knox College defense locked in and made one last stop, turning Ripon over to preserve the victory.

Following Ripon's turnover, Ayden Ayer was fouled and calmly made one of two free throws with just a few seconds left, ensuring Knox's victory and ending the team's three-game skid. 

Josh Stewart led Knox with his fourth double-double in five games. He scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Russell Wright added 15 points and eight rebounds. Ryan Erdos chipped in with 14 points and shot 4-5 on three-pointers. Campbell had 10 points and a team-high seven assists. Ayer added eight points in the win.

The game was a nail-biter the whole way, featuring 18 lead changes and 12 ties. Knox held its largest advantage, 77-70, late in the game and never trailed by more than four points.

On the glass, the Prairie Fire dominated, outrebounding Ripon 41-20 and converting 14 offensive rebounds into 23 second-chance points. 

Offensively, Knox played one of its most efficient games all season, shooting 29-56 (51.8 percent) from the field and 10-18 (55.6 percent) from three-point range.

Ripon led 65-62 with 7:29 left, but Knox responded with an 11-3 run over the next 3:15 to take the lead for good. Erdos hit two threes during the run, leading the Prairie Fire. 

Knox returns home next week to host Illinois College on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.