Box Score     GALESBURG, Ill. -- The Lawrence University men's basketball team was overdue, like big fine on your library card overdue, to win a close game.
   After enduring five tight losses this season, the Vikings grabbed a 72-69 Midwest Conference win over Knox College at Memorial Gymnasium.
    Brad Sendell went 8-for-13 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the foul line on his way to a game-high 23 points to lead the Vikings. Sendell added five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
    Kyle Lillwitz came off the bench to score 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field for Lawrence (9-10, 6-4 MWC). Elliot Jung had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Adnan Sarancic grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with seven points for the Vikings.
    Sean Gallery led Knox (6-11, 2-7) with 15 points.
    Knox led 57-56 and the game see-sawed over the final five minutes. The lead was swapped five times in the final five minutes and 15 times in the contest.
    The final lead change came when Sendell scored in the lane and was fouled with 1:34 remaining. He converted the free throw as well, and the Vikings led 67-66.
    After a missed jumper by Jordan Rayner, Sarancic was fouled and made one free throw for a 68-66 edge with 1:03 left. After trading a missed jumper and a turnover, Sarancic stole the ball from Aidan Derry. Sendell was fouled and made both free throws for a 70-66 lead with 28 seconds remaining.    
    The Vikings got another defensive stop, their fourth consecutive stop, when Matt Garife's 3-pointer was off-target. Jung grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws for a 72-66 advantage with 19 seconds left.
    Gallery hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 72-69, and the Vikings had trouble inbounding the ball. A Knox defender and Lillwitz went for the pass, which glanced out of bounds. The officials gave the ball to Knox to set up a final play.
    Duane Goodman's 3-pointer at the buzzer clanged off the back iron, and Sarancic grabbed the rebound at the buzzer.
    The teams traded the lead in the opening half with the Vikings building a seven-point advantage at 21-14 before Knox rallied. The Prairie Fire grabbed the lead back at 24-23, but the game was tied 32-32 at the half.
    The game was tied 43-43 when the Vikings went on a 13-2 run. Sendell started the burst with a jumper, and Lillwitz followed with back-to-back 3-pointers for a 51-45 lead. Sendell hit another jumper, and Lillwitz finished the run with another 3-pointer for a 56-45 advantage.
    Knox rallied again, scoring the game's next 12 points, to take a 57-56 lead with 5:22 remaining before Lawrence took control down the stretch.
    The Vikings, who have won 34 of the last 38 games vs. Knox, return home on Saturday to face Ripon College at Alexander Gymnasium.