SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Double-digit scoring outings from senior Courtney Knuckles (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) and sophomore Syerra Cunningham (Beach Park, Ill.) were not enough for the Prairie Stars as the Southwest Baptist Bearcats defeated the University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team, 60-46, Saturday afternoon at the Recreation and Athletic Center.

Cunningham scored a team-high 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. It's the second time she scored 10-plus points this season. Knuckles added 11 points from the hosts, including a 9-for-11 mark from the free throw line. She also grabbed six rebounds.

The Prairie Stars won the turnover battle, but both teams did well to capitalize on mistakes. The Bearcats scored 20 points on 16 UIS turnovers while the Prairie Stars tallied 15 points on 18 SBU turnovers.

Only four points were scored in the game's first five minutes, all by the visiting Bearcats. UIS got on the board at the 14:40 minute-mark on a pair of free throws from Knuckles to make the score 4-2. Neither squad was able to get into a rhythm offensively in the first half. UIS shot just 18 percent from the floor (4-22) while SBU made only 37 percent of its attempts.

Nearly ten minutes later, Cunningham sank two free throws to give the Prairie Stars their first lead of the game, 15-14. It was shortlived, however, because the Bearcats converted their next five shots to go on a 12-0 run to take control of the game. Eight of SBU's Brook Duncan's game-high 21 points came during the run. The visitors led at the break, 28-18.

UIS was much more productive in the second half, scoring 28 points while shooting nearly 42 percent from the floor, but the Bearcats had all the answers on Saturday, stretching their lead to as many as 23. A 10-2 run by the Prairie Stars in the final three minutes cut the deficit to 14, but it was too little, too late as SBU earned the 60-46 road win.

Junior Morgan Knorr (Savannah, Mo.) recorded team-highs in assists (4) and steals (3) for UIS while scoring four points. Eight different players scored at least two points and grabbed at least one rebound.

The Prairie Stars are back in action at TRAC on Monday, Nov. 24 to host crosstown-rival Robert Morris Springfield. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.