Box Score EVANSTON, IL --- The Prairie Stars traveled to Evanston, Illinois to take on Northwestern University in their first exhibition game of the season. Illinois Springfield fell 84-56 to the Big Ten opponent, trailing by just 12 at the half. The Prairie Stars were led by Jasmine Sangster, who scored 15 points in the game on 5-of-7 shooting.
 
Sangster, a freshman out of Round Lake, Illinois, scored 15 points on the day, making 4-of-5 from three-point range and grabbing four rebounds. Fellow newcomers Destiny Ramsey and Katelyn Rosner each scored eight points on the day while Syerra Cunningham also had eight points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Shelbi Patterson, who led the team in points and assists last season, had a team-high five assists and grabbed six rebounds.
 
UIS hung tight in the first quarter, trailing 7-4 after three minutes of play. A 6-1 Northwestern run pushed the score to 13-5 before Rosner ended the rally with a jumper. The Prairie Stars cut the deficit to 17-15 on another jumper from Rosner with 34 seconds left but back-to-back baskets from Northwestern pushed the score to 20-15 at the end of the quarter.
 
The Wildcats pushed the halftime lead to 12 before outscoring the Prairie Stars by 16 in the second half for a final score of 84-56.
 
UIS had 26 points off the bench and matched Northwestern with 10 points in the paint in the final quarter.
 
The Prairie Stars will officially open their season on Friday against Lake Superior State University at the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge held at Hillsdale College. UIS will take on the Lakers on Friday at 7 pm before playing the host school, Hillsdale, on Saturday at 6 pm.