SPRINGFIELD, IL - Six players scored in double figures for the University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team and the Prairie Stars outscored Lincoln, 35-24, in the fourth quarter to defeat the Blue Tigers, 80-69, Saturday at the Recreation and Athletic Center.

The Prairie Stars move to 3-1 on the season and first-year head coach Mark Kost is now 2-0 at TRAC.

Junior Syerra Cunningham (Beach Park, Ill.) led UIS with 13 points and tied the program's Division II record for most rebounds in a game with 17. The Prairie Stars dominated the glass against the Blue Tigers, 44-35. Cunningham, junior Chelsea Cross (Champaign, Ill.) and senior Ashley McHenry (Milwaukee, Wis.) combined to grab 31 rebounds in the game. McHenry and sophomore Shelbi Patterson (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished with 12 points. Patterson also dished out seven assists for the second consecutive game and is now averaging 5.5 per game.

Senior guards Meredith Marti (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Morgan Knorr (Savannah, Mo.) chipped in 10 points each. Both seniors made a pair of threes and were a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

The Prairie Stars took control of the game in the opening quarter. UIS led 13-11 after a close six minutes of play and then ended the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 21-11 lead into the second period. Patterson was on fire from the floor, knocking down three straight shots over a 2:30 minute stretch to help the hosts extend the lead to 19-11. Cunningham connected on a jumper with 1:23 left in the quarter to give UIS a 21-11 lead. 

Lincoln closed the gap with four straight points to open the second period, but the Prairie Stars responded to push the lead to 14 and eventually 15, 38-23, going into the break. UIS turned the ball over only one time in the first half and shot 41 percent from the floor.

The Blue Tigers' Zuri Hill was the main reason the visitors were only down 15 at the break. Hill scored 12 of the team's 23 points and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor and from the line. She finished the game with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The momentum began to shift in the third quarter as Lincoln stormed all the way back from its 15-point deficit. The Blue Tigers' Hunter Yoakum scored 10 points in the third period to lead the visitors back. UIS mustered only seven points in the quarter and struggled to slow Lincoln down. The Blue Tigers ended the period on an 11-0 run to tie the game, 45-45, heading into the fourth quarter.

Lincoln scored the first two points of the final period to take its first lead since the 8:14 minute-mark of the first quarter. The teams traded buckets over the next three minutes and the score was tied, 54-54 with 7:17 left to play. Freshman Michaela Jones (Danville, Ill.) came off the bench for the Prairie Stars and had a huge fourth quarter. With the score 49-47 in favor of the visitors, she converted a tough layup to tie the game and then gave UIS the lead with a three pointer on its very next possession. Later in the period after Ashley McHenry gave the Prairie Stars a 56-54 lead, Jones scored again on a back-door layup to give UIS its largest lead since the third quarter. 

The Prairie Stars continued to roll as they got three pointers from Knorr and Marti to push the lead back to 11, 66-55. UIS iced the game down the stretch from the free throw line, going 8-for-8 in the final minute to win, 80-69.

Lincoln's Hunter Yoakum finished with a game-high 25 points, 23 of which came after halftime.

The Prairie Stars are back in action on the road against Missouri Southern on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. You can follow the Prairie Stars on the road at UISPrairieStars.com.