GALESBURG, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings men's basketball team got back in the win column on Monday, picking up a non-conference road win over the Knox Prairie Fire by a score of 65-59.

Daniel Carr notched 14 of his game-high 22 points in the opening half, helping lead the Vikings to a double-digit halftime lead of 38-26. Augustana led by as many as 17 in the opening 20 minutes, holding the Prairie Fire to just 11 points after 15 minutes of action. The Vikings shot just over 41 percent from the field and knocked down four three-pointers in the opening half, but the effort was highlighted by their defensive play, holding the home team to just 37 percent shooting and a 3-11 mark from behind the arc. 

An old-fashioned three-point play got the Prairie Fire within single digits to begin the second half and slowly chipped away at the margin, cutting it to two points less than eight minutes in. Leading 43-41, the Vikings answered with a 7-2 run to cushion their advantage, again using their defense to hold Knox to 0-5 shooting during the four-minute span. The Prairie Fire got within four points shortly after, the lowest the margin would be the rest of the way, before Augie quickly pushed it back out to a few possessions later. Five quick points for Knox with under 30 seconds to go brought them within five, but the Vikings held on with free throws to escape with the victory.

After 40 minutes of action, each team hovered around the 40 percent mark shooting the ball, but the Vikings dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Prairie Fire 40-29. Carr hauled in 14 rebounds to go with his game-high scoring output, while Evan Ambrose also tallied double figures with 12 points and five assists. 

With the win, Augustana improves to 3-8 on the season. The team will return home on Thursday, December 22 when they host the No. 12 ranked UW-La Crosse Eagles. Tip is scheduled for 7 pm from inside the Carver Center.