SPRINGFIELD, IL - A 13-0 run late in the second half sealed the 75-54 win for Lindenwood against the University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team Tuesday evening at the Recreation and Athletic Center.

The Prairie Stars (2-2) fell behind early and tried to play catch up for the rest of the game. After junior Mark Weems (Chicago, Ill.) knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 2-2 just 54 seconds into the game, UIS missed its next 12 shots over a five-minute stretch. Freshman Bahari Amaya (Harrisburg, Ill.) ended the drought for the hosts with a three pointer at the the 13:47 minute-mark to make the score 12-5 in favor of the Lions.

Amaya finished with a team-high 15 points and was the lone Prairie Star in double figures. The Harrisburg native was on fire from long range, connecting on five of his six tries, three of which came in the first period.

The Prairie Stars pulled within four twice, after threes from redshirt-freshman Vince Walker (Ankeny, Iowa) and Amaya, at 15-11 and 18-14, but that was as close as they could get in the first period. The Lions took a 33-20 lead into halftime thanks to eight three pointers. The visitors shot 8-for-16 from downtown in the first half and finished 13-for-25. Guard Nick Van Osdale led the Lions with nine points at the break on three three pointers. He finished a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown on his way to a game-high 19 points.

UIS struggled from the floor in the first period, shooting 8-for-37 and 4-for-15 from three point land. 

The teams traded buckets early in the second half and the Prairie Stars began to claw their way back. After a pair of free throws from Weems, freshman Zach Steinberg (Wildwood, Mo.) followed up a defensive rebound with a three pointer on the other end to make the score 36-27 in favor of Lindenwood. A tip-in just a minute later from Steinberg brought UIS within eight, 37-27 with 16:33 remaining in the game. Steinberg finished with eight points and seven rebounds. All eight of his points came in the second period.

The Prairie Stars traded buckets with the Lions but struggled to get stops. Weems connected on a baseline jumper at the 14:58 minute mark to cut the deficit to eight but the Lions responded with a three pointer from senior Cory Arentsen to push the lead back to 11. The visitors extended the lead to as many as 17 over the next eight minutes.

UIS showed some life late, using a 6-0 run to make the score 60-50 with 4:52 left in the game. Senior Jamall Millison (Bolingbrook, Ill.) struggled to score earlier in the game but scored four points during the run to help the Prairie Stars pull within 10. The hosts went cold from the field in the final five minutes, going 0-for-7 down the stretch until freshman Logan Gonce (St, Charles, Mo.) and Steinberg converted a pair of layups to make the final score, 75-54. 

The Prairie Stars travel to Rensselaer, Ind. for the St. Joseph's Tournament this weekend. On Friday they take on Hillsdale and then on Saturday, Ohio Dominican.