ROLLA, MO – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) women's basketball team powered past Purdue University Northwest with a 79-73 victory during the Lady Miner on Friday.
 
Trailing the Pride (0-1) by a score of 39-26 in the second quarter, the Prairie Stars (1-0) rattled off a 36-7 run and held off Purdue Northwest's fourth-quarter comeback effort.
 
"It was a great effort to start the season with a win," UIS coach Mark Kost said. "We had to overcome a slow start, but made a great run to end the half and it continued into the third quarter."
 
The Pride started off with a 9-8 lead. Purdue Northwest then put together an 11-2 run to take a 20-10 lead and maintained a 26-16 advantage after the first quarter.
 
The Pride was the first to score in the second quarter when Ellie Michalski knocked down a 3-pointer. UIS began its 36-7 run with 2:17 left in the second quarter, closing out the quarter with a 10-2 run. The Prairie Stars also accounted for the final seven points of the second quarter.
 
UIS carried the momentum into the third quarter with another 10-2 run. After three quarters, the Prairie Stars built their lead to 56-47. UIS outscored Purdue Northwest by a 20-to-6 margin in the third quarter.
 
The Prairie Stars took a 70-52 lead during the fourth quarter. Purdue Northwest responded with 11 consecutive points and cut the lead to 71-66 with one minute remaining in the game. Needing to foul, the Pride were unable to complete the comeback. The Prairie Stars sank eight free throws during the final minute with five coming from Jasmine Sangster and three coming from Val Meissner.
 
UIS held a 24-to-10 advantage over Purdue Northwest in points off turnovers. The Prairie Stars also outscored the Pride 12-to-2 on fast-break points.
 
Purdue Northwest outrebounded UIS by a 53-to-41 margin.
 
The Prairie Stars drained 26-of-74 (35.1 percent) shots from the field and sank 3-of-22 (13.6 percent) attempts from 3-points range. Purdue Northwest converted 24-of-65 (36.9 percent) attempts from the floor and knocked down 7-of-25 (28 percent) shots from the perimeter.
 
The Prairie Stars drained 24-of-32 (75 percent) shots from the free-throw line while the Pride hit 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) attempts from the charity stripe.
 
UIS produced five double-digit scorers. Destiny Ramsey and Shelbi Patterson put together 16 points apiece to lead the Prairie Stars. Ramsey and Patterson blocked three shots and two shots, respectively. Patterson also provided a 7-of-14 (50-percent) shooting clip from the field. Ramsey pulled down nine rebounds and converted 8-of-10 (80 percent) attempts from the free-throw line.
 
Meissner and Sangster notched 13 points each. Sangster finished the game with a 9-of-11 (81.8-percent) performance from the charity stripe.
 
Katelyn Rosner recorded double-digit totals for the first time in her career for points or rebounds. The 6-foot-2 sophomore center from Chicago, IL notched 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in her double-double. Rosner also hit 6-of-10 (60 percent) shots from the floor.
 
Grace Weber added five points and Tehya Fortune rounded out the UIS scoring totals with four points. Fortune also dished out six assists. The Prairie Stars received three steals apiece from Patterson, Ramsey, Fortune and Sangster.
 
Lanie Allen led the Pride with 17 points. Bayley Goodman contributed 15 points, Michalski tallied 11 points and Shae Rhonehouse provided 10 points. Michalski recorded a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
In UIS Division II history, Patterson is tied for seventh with 198 career defensive rebounds.
 
The Prairie Stars close out the Lady Miner Classic by taking on LeMoyne-Owen College (0-1) on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
"We have to get ready for another challenge [on Saturday]."