LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Playing in its first Midwest Conference game in nearly a month, the Knox College men's basketball team took a tough loss on the road Saturday, falling at Lake Forest, 101-67.

The Prairie Fire (5-8 overall, 1-3 in the MWC) entered Saturday's contest having wrapped up 2025 with a loss on Wednesday, making this their first game of 2026. 

Leading Knox was Ryan Cernos, who scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed five boards in the defeat. Building on his career-high from Wednesday, Noah Campbell also scored in double figures with 10 points. Meanwhile, Josh Stewart had a productive afternoon, recording seven points and a Prairie Fire-best eight rebounds. 

Additionally, Cameron Betker came off the bench to play a career-best 17 minutes and notched both a career-best and team-high five steals. 

The Foresters erupted with a blistering 9-0 run, grabbing control early. Not to be outdone, Knox stormed back with a 10-3 surge, closing the gap to 12-10 after Stewart's emphatic three-pointer. Riding a wave of energy, the Prairie Fire seized their first lead, 17-16, as Vladimir Marinov (nine points) buried a three at the 12:37 mark.

After Knox briefly took the lead, Lake Forest answered with a strong run, heading into halftime with a 43-34 advantage.

The second half saw the Foresters gradually pull away. A key moment came when they opened the final 20 minutes with a decisive 13-3 run.

Statistically, Knox shot 24-66 (36.4 percent) from the floor, while Lake Forest went 36-64 (56.3 percent). The three-point line was a pivotal factor, with Knox finishing 7-24 (29.2 percent) and Lake Forest converting 15-31 (48.4 percent).

Looking ahead, the Prairie Fire will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 7, visiting Beloit College to open a men-women doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. To keep up with Prairie Fire athletics, follow Knox College athletics at https://prairiefire.knox.edu/.