Box Score  
Monmouth inched closer to a Midwest Conference postseason berth with a 75-69 win over rival Knox to move two games behind the league's top 4.
 
The Scots opened up a 19-point lead with 3:23 left, but had to hold off a furious Prairie Fire rally down the stretch. Nursing a 53-45 lead with 6:46 remaining, Cam Sturtevant drained a 3-pointer and Lamont Mitchell followed with a bucket inside, then a pair of free throws to begin Monmouth's 12-1 run leading up to their biggest lead of the night.
 
Knox countered with 2:30 to play and trimmed the margin to six on a pair of back-to-back 3-poitners in the final 30 seconds. Leading 72-66 with 24 seconds to play, Mitchell and Will Jones combined to make three of four free throws to hold off the Fire and move to 5-6 in league play.
 
Justin Aluya's 23 points led the Scots who travel to Beloit for a 3 p.m. matchup this Saturday.