SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Sophomore Syerra Cunningham (Beach Park, Ill.) led the University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team back from a 20-point deficit but the Prairie Stars ran out of gas late, falling to Southern Indiana 70-58 Saturday afternoon at the Recreation and Athletic Center.

Cunningham finished with 12 points and tied a career-high with 14 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. 10 of her 12 points and eight of her 14 rebounds came in the second half. Freshman Shelbi Patterson (Indianapolis, Ind.) also scored 12 points. She dished out three assists and picked up two of the Prairie Stars' five steals. Junior Jameeshia Armstrong rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts for UIS with 10 points. Armstrong was 4-of-8 from the floor and 2-for-4 from three-point land.

The score was close for much of the first period. The Screaming Eagles took a 19-12 lead at the 11:36 minute-mark on a layup from Taylor Stevenson. The Prairie Stars responded with an 8-0 run that included two traditional three-point plays from Patterson. USI took the lead back with 7:23 to in the half on a bucket from Kaydie Grooms. That started a 22-5 run for the visitors over the final seven minutes of play. A three-ball from Mariah Nimmo capped off the run and gave USI a 41-25 advantage at the break.

Patterson led the Prairie Stars with eight points in the first half. The team 37 percent (10-27) in the period.

In the second half, the Screaming Eagles picked up where they left off, extending their lead to 20 points, 54-34 with the 11:58 to go in the game. UIS began to chip away at the lead when Cunningham scored her first points of the half at the 10:24 minute-mark. The Prairie Stars defense stiffened up and held the Screaming Eagles without a basket for the next six minutes as UIS got back into the game with a 13-0 run to make the score 54-47. The visitors shot 0-for-11 during the stretch.

USI seemed to have every answer on Saturday, quickly scoring six straight points to push the lead back to 13 with four minutes to go. The teams traded buckets and the Prairie Stars found themselves down by eight, 64-56, after another basket from Cunningham with 1:48 remaining. On the visitors' next possession, USI's Tanner Marcum drained a three from the corner to seal the 70-58 victory.

Junior Meredith Marti (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored nine points for the hosts, all on three three-pointers. The Prairie Stars shot 44 percent from the floor in the second half and outscored Southern Indiana 33-29 in the period.

Senior Anna Hackert scored a game-high 14 points for the Screaming Eagles. She also led the team with eight rebounds and five blocks.

The Prairie Stars are back in action next weekend when they travel to Drury and Missouri S&T.