SPRINGFIELD, IL --- The Prairie Stars (3-3, 0-1) opened the season with a 67-63 loss to #7 Bellarmine (5-1, 1-0). UIS took a six points lead into half but a run by the Knights to open up the second half proved to be the difference maker in the Great Lakes Valley Conference season opener.

Vince Walker opened the game with back-to-back three pointers, giving UIS an early 6-3 lead. Paxton Harmon then took over, scoring the next four points for UIS before a three by Lijah Donnelly gave UIS a 13-12 lead with 12:53 remaining in the half.

Down 24-22 with 6:33 to go in the half, UIS went on a 10-0 run to take an eight point lead. Eddie Longmeyer scored the first four points of the run before Walker hit the first of back-to-back three's by him and Donnelly to give UIS an eight-point advantage. A layup from Bellarmine with 77 seconds remaining was the final basket of the half and left UIS with a 34-28 lead after the opening 20 minutes.

Down six, the seventh ranked Knights scored the first 16 points of the second half to take a 44-34 lead. Bellarmine hit their first three three-point attempts of the half and four of their first five during the stretch.
Zach Steinberg and Brandon Van Sant ended the run with two layups and cut the deficit to just six with 11:50 to play.

With less than three minutes to play, Steinberg collected an offensive rebound and put back to cut the deficit to six before Longmeyer hit two free throws to narrow the margin to four with 1:37 left in regulation.

With 31 seconds left and down by just six, UIS forced a turnover and had a look to make it a one possession game, but a Walker three-point attempt came up short and UIS fell by a final score of 67-63.

Longmeyer ended with 16 points, four assists, and two steals --- all of which were team highs. Walker connected on 4-of-9 from deep for 12 points and added six boards while Kaj Days grabbed eight rebounds --- six offensive --- and put in 10 points. Steinberg's double-double streak came to an end with six points and nine rebounds.

UIS will take the court on Saturday at 3 PM to take on Southern Indiana, who is coming off a 104-58 win at McKendree.