The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team defeated Lindenwood-Belleville on Wednesday afternoon at TRAC by a 76-65 margin. The win was the fifth straight for the Prairie Stars who now go into their Christmas break with a 7-3 overall record.
 
UIS had an off-day shooting the ball, finishing 42.9 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range. The Prairie Stars stepped up on the defensive side, forcing 19 turnovers and holding the Lynx under 40 percent shooting.
 
That defensive effort finally helped the Prairie Stars pull away midway through the second half. UIS led 48-44 with 13:31 left in the game. Over the next 5:30, Lindenwood-Belleville made just one-of-eight from the field, and forced three turnovers. Offensively, UIS went on a 15-2 run, capped off by a big three-pointer by Zach Steinberg.
 
Steinberg led the Prairie Stars on the afternoon by just missing a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. He played just over 18 minutes, and UIS outscored the Lynx by 19 points while he was on the court.
 
Aundrae Williams was the leading scorer with 16 points, making five-of-seven shots from the field and six-of-seven at the free-throw line. Cole Harper and Bahari Amaya were also in double-figures scoring. Gilwan Nelson just missed double-figures with nine points, and he blocked two shots. Harper and Logan Gonce each had a team-high three assists.
 
UIS will be off until Dec. 30 when it travels to Missouri Western for a 1 p.m. game in St. Joseph, Mo.