A slow start offensively hurt the University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team on Saturday in Quincy, Ill. The Prairie Stars fell to Quincy by a 78-72 score.
 
UIS started cold from the field, and found itself in a 26-10 hole near the midway mark of the second quarter. The Prairie Stars scored 11 points in the final 5:12 of the first half, but trailed 37-21 at the break.
 
UIS got two points back in the third quarter, before mounting one last run in the fourth. A Tehya Fortune three-pointers ignited a 10-1 rally that pulled the team within 56-51. That was as close as the Prairie Stars would get though. Quincy scored four straight at that point, and hit enough free throws in the final minute to hang on for the win.
 
Defensively, UIS held Quincy to just 35.1 percent shooting, and it forced 15 turnovers. The Prairie Stars were called for 29 fouls, which led to 40 Quincy free throws. The Hawks made 32 of those free throws, nearly double the 17 that UIS made in the game. UIS finished the game shooting 33.8 percent from the field, including 41.5 percent in the second half when it scored 51 points.
 
Four UIS players scored in double-figures, led by Lauren Ladowski with 19 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Jasmine Sangster had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Those two players combined to make 17-of-20 from the free-throw line. Makenna Fee added 12 points, and Fortune had 11. Both of those player made five-of-nine from the field. Ladowski led the team with four assists and three steals, and Sangster also had three steals.
 
UIS is now 6-9 overall and 1-6 in GLVC play. The Prairie Stars start a five-game homestand on Monday against Lewis.