SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team takes on the Bellarmine Knights and the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana this weekend at the Recreation and Athletic Center. Game times are set for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m., respectively.

Promotions
Thursday's game is sponsored by Green Toyota. Fans will have the chance to win a free car detail courtesy of Green Toyota at both the women's and men's games. The Springfield Quartet is performing the national anthem prior to the women's game and kids from the Chatham Youth Basketball Association will be playing at halftime.

Saturday's game is the Bank of Springfield Family Day. All kids receive free admission and all parents are only $3. BOS Dog, Speedy, Gilly and Cosmo will also be in attendance for a mascot meet and greet. The Prairie Stars' teams will be available for autographs at the conclusion of their respective games and the Sacred Heart-Griffin football team will be honored for their 2014 State Championship at halftime of the men's game.

Quick Hits
•    The Prairie Stars are 5-12 and on a five-game slide after falling to UIndy, 48-58, on Saturday. Bellarmine is 8-9 and on a six-game skid dating back to Jan. 10.
•    UIS is 4-3 at home this season while Bellarmine is 2-5 on the road.
•    Last season, the Prairie Stars fell to Bellarmine in Louisville, 70-73.  In a very evenly matched game, the difference was Bellarmine's nine three-pointers.
•    Thursday's game pits two of the GLVC's top rebounding squads against each other. UIS is second, averaging 41.8 rebounds per game while Bellarmine is fifth at 40.1.

News and Notes

Top of the Conference
The Prairie Stars rank in the top of the conference several defensive categories. UIS currenlty ranks fifth in scoring defense (62.5 ppg), first in field goal defense (36.8 percent), third in three-point defense (28.7 percent) and fourth in blocked shots per game (3.47).

Home Cooking
UIS is 4-3 at TRAC this season, including its only conference win thus far. The Prairie Stars are scoring 67 points per game at home as opposed to just 54 points on the road, a 13-point difference. The team also owns a +11.1 rebounding margin at home and a +3.4 margin on the road.

It's a Block Party
The Prairie Stars have blocked five shots in a game seven different times, including Thursday's game at Saint Joseph's. The team is tied for fourth in the GLVC in blocks and blocks per game. Junior Jessica Warren is third in the conference in both categories.

The Two Towers
Junior Jessica Warren (6'2") and sophomore Syerra Cunningham (6'1") are the primary primary reason UIS has rebounded the ball so well this season. In last Saturday's game against UIndy, Warren finished with 10 boards while Cunningham added nine.

Owning the Glass
UIS ranks second in the GLVC in rebounding (41.8 rpg) and is fifth in rebounding margin (+6.0). The Prairie Stars are 5-6 this season when they outrebound their opponent. Syerra Cunningham (4th) and Jessica Warren (5th) rank in the top 10 of the GLVC in rebounding.

Coming Up Next
The Prairie Stars hit the road next weekend to take on Drury and Missouri S&T.