SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team hosts Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside in its final home weekend of the season this week. Game times are set for Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m., respectively.

Seniors Courtney Knuckles (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) and Cassie Wolfe (Plainfield, Ill.) will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on Saturday.

Quick Hits
•    The Prairie Stars are 5-18 and on a season-long eleven-game slide after dropping a pair of close games to William Jewell and Rockhurst last weekend.
•    At TRAC this season, the Prairie Stars have shot 42 percent from the floor while holding their opponents to just 33 percent shooting.
•    Earlier this season, Lewis defeated the Prairie Stars 101-82 in Romeoville. Junior JESSICA WARREN scored a career-high 20 points in the loss.

News and Notes

D-D-D...Defense
The Prairie Stars rank in the top half of the conference in several defensive categories. UIS currenlty ranks fourth in field goal defense (38.1 percent), fifth in three-point defense (30.3 percent) and eighth in blocked shots per game (2.83).

Tourney Teams Set
12 teams have clinched a spot in the GLVC Tourament this season. One game separates eight teams as they fight for home court advantage in the first round.

Shooters Shoot
The Prairie Stars are 4-1 this season when shooting at least 45 percent. The last time UIS hit that mark was on January 17 against Lewis when the team shot 53 percent.

East Division Leaders
This weekend, UIS takes on the top two teams in the GLVC East division this season in Lewis (14-1) and UW-Parkside (12-3). All three teams rank in the top five in the GLVC in field goal percentage defense, three-point percentage defense, rebounding and rebounding margin.

Owning the Glass
UIS ranks third in the GLVC in rebounding (40.8 rpg) and is fifth in rebounding margin (+4.8). The Prairie Stars are 5-9 this season when they outrebound their opponent. Syerra Cunningham (4th) and Jessica Warren (9th) rank in the top 10 of the GLVC in rebounding.

Lewis Flyers (Division II Era): Flyers Lead Series 7-1
This is the ninth meeting between these two teams since the Prairie Stars joined Division II. Earlier this season the Flyers defeated the Prairie Stars in Romeoville, 101-82.

This Season:
Lewis is 24-1 and 14-1 in the GLVC after dropping its first game of the season to Drury last Thursday. Junior Jamie Johnson leads the league in scoring at 19.2 points per game while fellow junior Mariah Brawner-Henley is third in scoring (17.9) and first in rebounding (12.4). Lewis has already clinched a first-round bye in the GLVC Tournament.