The University of Illinois Springfield women's basketball team came up just short in its GLVC Tournament Quarterfinal match on Friday in Edwardsville, Ill. The sixth-seeded Prairie Stars fell to third-seed Missouri-St. Louis by a 53-51 margin.
 
UIS held a 26-25 advantage at halftime, but Missouri-St. Louis ended the third quarter strong and took a 39-36 lead heading into the fourth. The Tritons then went on a 6-0 run early in the final quarter for the biggest advantage of the game at 47-38.
 
The Prairie Stars fought back thanks to a 7-0 run, and they then went ahead on two Lauren Ladowski free throws with 1:39 remaining. Missouri-St. Louis came right down and hit a three-pointer on their next possession. That proved to be the final points of the game. UIS had three shots to tie or take the lead, including a three-pointer at the buzzer, but the Prairie Stars couldn't extend their season with a late make.
 
UIS outrebounded Missouri-St. Louis by a 38-30 margin, and held Missouri-St. Louis to just 36.4 percent shooting from the field. The Tritons only turned the ball over six times though, and made six-of-14 from three-point range.
 
UIS's top three scorers late in the year combined for 39 of the team's 51 points. Lauren Ladowski led the team with 15, Malea Jackson had 14, and Ally Gietzel scored 10. Jackson just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, and Ladowski had a team-high two assists. UIS was 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, including four-of-four from both Ladowski and Jackson.
 
UIS ends its best season in 23 years with a 17-11 overall record.