The University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team had a strong defensive effort on Thursday at Bellarmine, but the Prairie Stars couldn't pull out a GLVC road win. UIS fell by a 58-42 margin.
 
UIS started strong with a 9-2 run in the final 3:30 of the first quarter that gave the team an 11-9 advantage after one quarter. Bellarmine hit a three-pointer early in the first to regain the lead, and the Knights would go on and lead 28-24 at halftime. In the third quarter, Bellarmine went on a 14-1 run to pull away from the Prairie Stars, and UIS couldn't generate enough offense to get back into the contest.
 
Both teams shot under 30 percent from the field, but Bellarmine made 11 more field goals, including seven more three-pointers. UIS did have a 15-2 advantage in made free throws, and outrebounded Bellarmine by a 53-47 margin. Bellarmine forced 24 turnovers in the game, and outscored the Prairie Stars by a 20-3 margin in points off turnovers.
 
Lauren Ladowski had a team-high nine points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Tehya Fortune had seven points, and Myka Roth collected seven rebounds.
 
UIS falls to 5-5 overall and 0-2 in GLVC play. The Prairie Stars resume play on Saturday afternoon at Indianapolis.