The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team dropped its season opener on Friday in St. Charles, Mo. The Prairie Stars fell behind in the first half and couldn't complete a second-half comeback in an 84-76 loss against Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
The game was decided in the first 20 minutes as the Panthers jumped out to a 44-31 lead. Kentucky Wesleyan shot 55.6 percent from the field in the period, and held UIS to just 32.4 percent shooting.
 
UIS started playing even with Kentucky Wesleyan in the second half, and even outscored it by five for the final 20 minutes. The Prairie Stars got within five at 73-68 with 4:20 left. Kentucky Wesleyan scored on its next possession though, sparking a 7-1 run that put the game out of reach for UIS.
 
Shooting was the main difference on the stat sheet. UIS finished the game making 38.5 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range, and 63 percent from the free-throw line. Kentucky Wesleyan shot 48.2 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three-point range, and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe. UIS had a 16-3 advantage in second-chance points, but the Panthers scored 17 points off turnovers, compared to nine for the Prairie Stars.
 
Chase Robinson led UIS with 26 points, including 20 in the second half. He made four three-pointers, and also had five rebounds. James Kelley had a good Prairie Star debut with 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Chris Hamil, also playing in his first game in a UIS uniform, had 13 points, and Jesus Castillo was four-of-four from behind the arc for 12 points. Evan Altman had seven points, and Jack Weber dished out four assists and had a pair of steals.
 
UIS will continue play at the Lindenwood Tipoff Classic on Saturday with a game versus Parkside.