The University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team needed overtime for the second time in three games, but the Prairie Stars were able to survive the extra period and move to 3-0 on the season. UIS defeated Missouri Southern on Saturday evening at TRAC by an 80-75 score.
 
Missouri Southern scored the first seven points of the game, and never trailed for the first three quarters of the game. The Lions led by as many as 12 points early in the second half. UIS started getting the ball inside the paint midway through that quarter, and it scored the final eight points to trail by just a 54-53 score with 10 minutes remaining.
 
In the fourth, UIS took its first lead at 59-57 with 6:26 remaining, and added another basket next time down. Missouri Southern responded with a 6-0 run to retake the lead. In the final minute of regulation, Lauren Ladowski hit two free throws to put UIS up 64-63, but the Lions hit a layup and made two free throws to go up 67-64. With 12 seconds remaining, UIS, which had only made one three-pointer up to that point, got a big one from Tehya Fortune to force overtime.
 
UIS had a big first minute of overtime, as Malea Jackson hit a jumper, and Fortune connected on another three-pointer to put UIS up 72-68. The Lions would get within one point twice, including with 1:37 remaining. Missouri Southern had two chances after that to take the lead, but Makenna Fee came up with a key block, and the defense forced a turnover. UIS was able to finally seal the game after Jackson and Ladowski both made two free throws in the final 14 seconds.
 
Both teams shot just under 46 percent from the field. Missouri Southern had three more three-pointers, but UIS made two more field goals and four more at the free-throw line. UIS also forced four more turnovers, and Missouri Southern had a +3 rebounding margin.
 
Ladowski finished with a team-high 20 points, including making 10-of-12 free throws. She also had seven rebounds and a team-high seven assists. Makenna Fee just missed a double-double with 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Jackson had 15 points, and Fortune finished with 14. The team's two freshmen on the court, Jackson and Fee, were the team leaders in plus/minus with +14 and +10, respectively.
 
UIS matches its best start since moving to the NCAA level. The Prairie Stars are at home again on Tuesday at 5 p.m. against Kentucky Wesleyan.