The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team won its opener on Friday night at TRAC with a 91-71 win over Ohio Valley. The victory was the first at UIS for first-year head coach Matt Brock, and it came during day one of the 2019 Prairie Stars Tipoff Classic, hosted by Razzo's Pizzeria.
 
UIS trailed 10-3 early, but quickly regained the lead at 15-12. The Prairie Stars outscored the Fighting Scots 23-14 the remainder of the half, and led by double-figures the rest of the way.
 
UIS shot 45.1 percent on the night and made 15 three-pointers. Defensively, it forced 19 turnovers and held Ohio Valley to a 41.3 percent shooting night.
 
Keymonta Johnson led the team with 19 points, followed by Daniel Soetan with 15. Chase Robinson and Matt Wendling both had 13, and Alonsa Meana scored 11 off the bench. Johnson completed his double-double with 11 rebounds, and also had team-highs with four blocks and two steals. Aundrae Williams led the team with five assists, and had no turnovers.
 
UIS returns to action on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. against Parkside.