SPRINGFIELD, IL --- Standing with a 6-4, 0-2 record, the Prairie Stars will return to Great Lakes Valley Conference play by hosting Truman State and Quincy this week. Illinois Springfield fell in their first two conference games in the beginning of December to Bellarmine and Southern Indiana but have since won three of four games to close out the year.

SETTING THE SCENE
After opening up the season 3-1, the Prairie Stars dropped back-to-back conference games to Bellarmine and Southern Indiana. They responded by closing the year out with three non-conference wins in four games, closing 2016 with a 69-34 win over Blackburn College.

Truman State comes to Springfield with an over record of 6-6 and 1-2 mark in the GLVC. The Bulldogs began the year 3-1 before falling in five of their next seven. They opened up GLVC play with losses at Rockhurst and William Jewell before returning home to face their travel partner Quincy, winning 62-42.

Quincy enters the week with a 3-10 overall mark and 0-3 record in GLVC play. Falling in their first four contests, the Hawks beat Lincoln University before losing three straight. In their last five games, Quincy has picked up two wins over NAIA opponents Hannibal-LaGrange and Missouri Valley.

GLVC'S BEST
Syerra Cunningham, a senior from Beach Park, Illinois, currently leads the GLVC in rebounds per game with 11.8. She is the lone player in the conference to grab more than nine boards per contest and remains the only player in the 16-team league to average a double-double (12.4 points/11.8 rebounds).

Not only does she lead the GLVC in rebounds, but she currently ranks 8^th in the nation in rebounds per game.

Six times this year Cunningham has recorded a double-double, putting her first in the conference in that regard and 18^th nationally.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Prairie Stars surrender just 61.7 points per game and have a scoring margin of +11.6, good for fifth in the league. They hold opponents to a mere 35.4 shooting percentage and 30.0 from behind the arc, good for third and sixth, respectively.

Additionally, UIS ranks fifth in steals (9.5) and third in blocks (4.4) per game.

Individually, Destiny Ramsey is the lone player in the GLVC to rank in the top-12 in both blocks (1.2) and steals (2.2) per game.

STARS IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Shelbi Patterson is the active leader in points with 644 and ranks 8^th all-time. Cunningham is close behind with 617 points and ranks 10^th. Patterson also has 197 assists and looks to become the third player to eclipse 200 career assists. She sits third all-time and will look to pass Megan Bergerud (211) this season.

Cunningham is closing in on all of the rebounding records, collecting 220 offensive boards, 360 defensive rebounds, totaling 580. Elizabeth Kelly holds all three marks with 247/378/625.

SCOUTING TRUMAN STATE
Truman enters the contest coming off a 65-50 win over Iowa Wesleyan on December 31^st. They are led by Cassidy Clark who averages 14.3 points per game, ranking 11^th in the league. Clark also brings down 7.9 rebounds per game and shoots at a 53 percent clip from the field.

SCOUTING QUINCY
The Hawks enter the game winning their previous contest 65-56 over NAIA opponent Missouri Valley. Quincy ranks last in the league in scoring offense, scoring 56.1 points per game and get outscored by an average of 9.0, also last in the league. Nikia Edom leads the Hawks in scoring, putting gin 13.0 points per game, shooting 50 percent from three (38-of-76), putting her 4^th in 3-point FG percentage and 2^nd in total three's made.

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