SPRINGFIELD, IL --- The University of Illinois Springfield fell to #11 Bellarmine 78-50. On a day where five seniors were recognized, the Prairie Stars hung with the Knights in the first half, but ultimately fell to the top-team in the GLVC east. JJ Cravatta had another big game, hitting 7-of-9 from the field including 2-for-2 from for deep a game-high 20 points.

To open the game, the Prairie Stars fell behind 11-6 after the first five minutes but Jamall Millison got things going by scoring four straight points to push the score to 11-10. Back-to-back three's put Bellarmine back on top by seven, but Paxton Harmon hit a jumper before two Cravatta free throws made the score 19-14 with 7:46 remaining.

Jesse Tesmer, Collin Blaydes, and Davi Austin --- all seniors --- then scored six straight points for the Prairie Stars as they fought back to trail by just one. Harmon finished the run with a free throw to tie the game at 21 and then Cravatta came back with another jumper to take the lead at 23-21.

Bellarmine, who is tops in the league giving up just 66 points per game --- the only team to give up less than 70 --- locked down their defensive and rebounding effort. The Prairie Stars went scoreless for the remaining 3:54 of the first half, and surrendered a 12-0 run as Bellarmine took a 33-23 lead into the half.

UIS finally broke the slump with two free throws from Cravatta at the 16:33 mark, but Bellarmine increased their lead to as much as 28 in the second half. The Prairie Stars hit just 3-of-14 from deep, two of those coming from Cravatta and made just 9-of-16 from the free throw line.

Aside from Cravatta's performance, Millison had ten points and Blaydes added five, including a monstrous dunk in the opening minutes, and Austin scored four and added a team high six rebounds.

UIS honored five seniors prior to the game: Cravatta, Blaydes, Austin, Millison, and Tesmer. 

The Prairie Stars will play McKendree on Thursday night in Lebanon, and with a win will clinch their fifth straight GLVC tournament big.