SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - Freshman guard Shelbi Patterson (Indianpolis, Ind.) was perfect from the field in her Prairie Stars' debut, scoring 20 points on 8-for-8 shooting as the University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team fell to Hillsdale, 92-62, in the season-opener Friday at the GLVC Crossover.

Patterson, one of two freshmen on this year's squad, scored a game-high 20 points in just 23 minutes to lead the Prairie Stars in their first game of the season. She was 3-for-3 from three-point land with a pair of assists. Sophomore transfer Caroline Kelty (River Forest, Ill.) was the only other player in double-figures for UIS. Kelty added 11 points and five rebounds, including a 5-for-6 mark from the charity stripe.

Outside of Patterson, the Prairie Stars struggled from the floor, shooting just 35 percent (18-52). Both teams hit six three-pointers and shot 46 percent from long range.

Five players notched at least 10 points for the Hillsdale Chargers led by 2013-14 All-American Megan Fogt with 18. She was nearly perfect from the field (8-10) and tied a game-high with seven rebounds.

The Chargers jumped out to an early six-point lead, opening the game on an 8-2 run. Patterson scored UIS' first six points as the Prairie Stars quickly caught up, trailing by only one point, 10-9, at the 13:41 mark of the first half. It was the closest the Springfield squad came Friday evening before Hillsdale broke the game open with a 13-0 run, capped off by a traditional three-point play by Kayla Geffert.

After a Shelbi Patterson three-pointer stopped the run, the Chargers extended the lead with another run, this time outscoring UIS 12-1 in a four-minute span late in the period. Five straight points from Patterson made the score 35-18 with 5:11 left to play in the half. Hillsdale stretched its lead to 21, 49-28, heading into halftime. Patterson made seven of the team's ten field goals in the period.

The Prairie Stars got as close as 16 points early in the second stanza, scoring the period's first five points including a three-pointer from Kelty. Hillsdale continued its hot shooting, shooting 46 percent from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point land. Nine different UIS players scored in the game as the Chargers went on to win, 92-62.

UIS plays again tomorrow at the Crossover, taking on host Lake Superior State at 4 p.m EST.