GALESBURG, Ill. — The Knox College women's basketball team prevailed against Aurora University on Wednesday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium, 85-77, as the Prairie Fire (5-5) fought off a spirited comeback effort by the Spartans (7-3) in the second half.

Knox was led by outstanding performances from sophomore Bria Medina and junior Kylee Callahan, who scored 25 and 22 points, respectively, while first-year Nayeli Nidez Acuña registered her third double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Eliot Dojutrek's 15 points and Selena Vargas' 15 rebounds highlighted a valiant effort by the Spartans.

The early minutes of the game were highlighted by Medina's shiftiness and Callahan's authority inside as they combined to score the Prairie Fire's first 16 points. A 3-point basket by fifth-year Haylee Carpenter and a pair of Nidez Acuña buckets helped Knox close out the quarter with a 25-18 lead. 

The Prairie Fire's success continued into the second quarter with their lead growing to as many as 16 as they shot an impressive 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from the perimeter in the second quarter. As Callahan, Medina, and Nidez Acuna continued to dominate, the Prairie Fire entered halftime with a 46-34 lead. 

The Spartans were far from out of it, however, as their defense clamped down to cool off the Knox shooters after halftime. Midway through the third quarter, Aurora was within three, but Carpenter — Knox's three-point specialist — thwarted the comeback with back to back triples. By the end of the quarter, the Prairie Fire were holding a tenuous 64-58 advantage. 

Again the Spartans clawed their way back into the game and briefly took a 67-66 lead, their first since the middle of the first quarter, on a Kamryn Bullock 3-pointer. Medina immediately zipped her way to the rim for a layup to reclaim the lead for Knox. Down the stretch, clutch free throws in timely moments proved to be the difference this afternoon for the Prairie Fire as they converted 9-of-10 at the line over the final five-and-a-half minutes.

• Knox's victory over Aurora marks the Prairie Fire's first game this season featuring three players with at least 20 points.
• The Prairie Fire defense forced the Spartans into a season-high 22 turnovers and held their shooters to 35.5 percent from the floor and 18.8 percent from long range.
• Knox also had a season-high 15 steals in the game with Callahan leading the way with four swipes.
• Carpenter has knocked down 10 of her last 22 shots from behind the arc (.455) over the last three games.
• The Prairie Fire hit nearly half their field goal attempts (31-of-63, .492).

Knox will look to close off the 2024 calendar year with a win as they travel to face off against Webster University on Dec. 30. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Grant Gymnasium. A live stream for the game along with live stats can be found at PrairieFire.Knox.edu, the official website of Knox College athletics.