Women's Basketball Clinches Berth in Midwest Conference Tournament

The Prairie Fire women's basketball team clinched their first Midwest Conference Tournament berth in more than two decades with a win over Illinois College on January 30.

The last time the team made a tournament appearance was in 1997. Their 14-5 record (9-2 in the conference) this year is also the most wins since the 1996-97 season.

The Prairie Fire found themselves down by 15 points going into halftime after scoring only three points against Illinois College in the second quarter. A defensive shutdown and a scoring frenzy in the fourth quarter made for an exciting come-from-behind 48-43 win for the Prairie Fire.

Five players are currently averaging double-digit points per game: Jarrelyn McCall '20, Hailey Leinart '18, Karlie Thorn '19, Morgan Potter '19, and Kyra Huffman '20. "That is a pretty incredible stat and a credit to our whole team because they like to share the ball and we play team basketball," said Head Coach Emily Cline. "If someone has an off night, there is someone else there to step up."

Knox remains tied with Cornell College in the Midwest Conference standings.The Prairie Fire host the Rams on February 3 in a battle for the #2 spot in the MWC. The game is Senior Day, with senior players being honored prior to tip-off. It is also a Play for the Cure game, with halftime games and a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Association.

The final home game of the season will be on February 7 against Grinnell College. Activities are planned before and during the game to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

"I am proud of this team and can't wait to see what we can do with the rest of this season," says Cline. "We have a lot of basketball to play and we are going to stay focused on the process and reaching our potential."