RIPON, Wis. – The Prairie Fire women stayed close with conference-leading, nationally ranked Ripon on the road before falling 61-50 Saturday.

Knox matched Ripon in the second half but could not overcome a 36-25 halftime deficit. 

Finishing the contest with 20 points, Bria Medina took another step toward becoming the women's program's all-time leading scorer. Xiyah Yarbrough contributed nine points, while Nayeli Nidez Acuña provided eight points, six rebounds, and six steals.

Although Knox (7-10 overall, 6-3 in the Midwest Conference) fell behind 14-4 in the first five minutes, the team cut the deficit to six at the end of the first quarter, 18-12. Another slow start in the second quarter saw the Prairie Fire trailing by as many as 15 before narrowing the deficit to single digits at halftime. In the fourth quarter, the Prairie Fire got as close as four points, 44-40, before a 10-2 run by Ripon secured the win over Knox College.

The Prairie Fire host Illinois College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium.