The Millikin men's basketball team closed out the 2025 calendar year with a 92–80 road victory over Knox College on Tuesday afternoon at Memorial Gym in Galesburg, Ill. The win lifts the Big Blue to 10–2 on the season as they head into the new year with momentum.

The contest featured multiple lead changes early, with Knox taking a narrow 40–37 advantage into halftime. An on-court incident with 32 seconds left in the first half resulted in the ejections of two Millikin players (Straughter and Anderson) and one Knox player. Millikin responded with an explosive second half, outscoring the Prairie Fire 55–40 behind improved shooting and strong bench production. The Big Blue used an 11–0 scoring run midway through the second half to seize control, building a lead as large as 15 points and holding off Knox down the stretch.

Lane Thomann led Millikin with a game-high 28 points, knocking down five three-pointers while adding eight rebounds, four steals, and one assists in an all-around effort. Chris Ketchum provided a major spark off the bench with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Millikin finished the game shooting 54.4% from the field.

With the victory, Millikin wraps up 2025 on a high note and turns its attention to conference play. The Big Blue will open 2026 on January 3 when they travel to Augustana College.