The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball squad could not overcome a cold shooting night on Thursday night at TRAC. The Prairie Stars fell in their final home game of the season with a 71-62 setback against Southern Indiana.
 
Both teams played a defensive first half, with both squads shooting under 35 percent from the field. Jesus Castillo hit a three-pointer later in the half, which gave UIS a 29-26 lead at halftime.
 
In the second half, Southern Indiana focused on getting the ball into the paint, which helped the team improve their shooting percentage and got the win for the team. Both teams had 46 points with 9:15 remaining, when the Screaming Eagles pulled away with a 14-2 run.
 
USI finished the game shooting 41.8 percent from the field, compared to 38.6 percent for UIS. The Prairie Stars made seven more three-pointers, but couldn't overcome a 44-31 rebounding advantage for UIS. Southern Indiana finished with a 40-16 edge in points in the paint, and a 15-0 lead in second-chance points.
 
Keymonta Johnson had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and also led the team with five assists. Chase Robinson and Matt Wendling each finished with 13 points.
 
UIS falls to 14-11 on the season, and 7-10 in GLVC play. The Prairie Stars will next head to McKendree for a 3 p.m. Saturday contest.