SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team used a strong second half and shut down the home team as the Prairie Stars picked up a 66-60 victory at Saint Joseph's on Thursday evening at Scharf Fieldhouse.

It is the second straight conference win and moves UIS to an even 8-8 on the season. SJC falls to 4-14 overall and 1-7 in league play. The Prairie Stars now face off with the top team in Division II as they travel to Indianapolis who knocked off McKendree, 87-56.

Senior Dylan Sparkman (East Peoria, Ill.) and junior Jamall Millison (Bolingbrook, Ill.) each finished with 15 points. Sparkman was 7-of-10 from the floor and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Millison was 5-for-15 with four shots coming from long range. Junior JJ Cravatta (Streator, Ill.) recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

After holding as much as a 10-point lead in the first half, Saint Joseph's held just a two-point edge at the break. The teams battled to three ties in the opening 20 minutes and UIS used an 11-3 run to come within, 32-30, at the break.

In the second stanza, the game tied two more times before UIS used a 19-8 run stretching over nine minutes to gain the advantage it needed to take the game. The Prairie Stars were 6-for-11 from the floor and sunk six of their eight free throws during the stretch.

For the game, UIS went 25-for-61 shooting for a 41 percent clip. The Prairie Stars struggled in the first half from the charity stripe, going 2-for-7, but improved in the second half to hit 7-of-13 from the line. For the 10th time this season, Illinois Springfield owned the edge off the glass pulling down 49 boards to the Pumas' 38.

The Pumas struggled from the line and from long range, going 4-for-23 from behind the arc and 12-for-20 from the line. Leading scorer Cameron Vines was held under his 20 point average with 12 points for the night, while pulling down nine boards. Nathan Tidwell topped the team with 15 points, while Jordan Seele added 12.

Game time for UIS at UIndy is set for 2 p.m. CST.