The University of Illinois Springfield men's basketball team returns home looking to solidify their grip on a potential conference tournament spot. The Prairie Stars host William Jewell on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Rockhurst on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

UIS (14-7, 7-4)

The Prairie Stars went 1-1 on their travels last weekend. UIS currently sits 4th in the GLVC Men's Basketball Point Rating System Rankings with an average rating of 3.36 points. 

On Thursday night the Stars traveled to Southwest Baptist. The first half was edged by the Bearcats as SBU took a 32-31 lead into the break. UIS took off to a hot start in the second half, grabbing the lead and jumping ahead by nine points. SBU made it a one-point game with under four minutes on the clock. UIS made 4-of-7 free throws and one three pointer from that point on to secure the win, 66-63. Each team shot above 50% from three in the first half. UIS was able to hold that in the second half while SBU fell to 25%. UIS averaged 61.1% from beyond the arc. Max Kunnert led the Prairie Stars with 17 points, making 5-of-8 from the field, 5-of-6 from three-point range. Jordan Rice scored 15 points of his own, making 6-of-11 from the field. He also added four steals, two assists, and two rebounds. Jacob Hanna and Jack Weber joined Kunnert and Rice in double-digit scoring, also averaging above 50% from the floor. Hanna also contributed six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. 

Saturday afternoon UIS faced a Drury team that was looking to stay in the hunt for a GLVC Tournament spot. UIS outpaced Drury to start and led by as many as 10 points in the first half. The lead shrunk to three points by halftime. UIS averaged 43.3% from the field in the first half and fell to 35.7% in the second half while Drury improved from 28.9% to 46.9%. The Panthers, trailing in a 35-29 game, made three consecutive three pointers to take the lead early in the second half. DU never trailed again, making an additional 7 three-pointers in the later half of the matchup. The upstart Panthers ran away with the win, 74-59. Jacob Hanna scored 14 points for UIS while also contributing 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Jack Weber made 6-of-11 field goals and 1-of-2 free throws for 13 points. Jordan Rice's 8 points came with 3 steals and 3 assists. Drury outrebounded UIS 47-39 and had the advantage in turnovers and assists.

The Prairie Stars are 8-2 at TRAC this year. UIS is averaging 80.2 points per game on 50.8% shooting. The Stars are holding opponents to 70.8 points per game on 45.1% shooting. UIS is second in the conference in points per game, field goal percentage, and winning margin (9.5). The Stars are first in three-point field goal percentage at 42.5%.

 

William Jewell (12-7, 6-5) 

The Cardinals went 1-1 last weekend during their homestand. Jewell is currently 5th in the GLVC Men's Basketball Point Rating System Rankings with an average rating of 3.32 points.

On Thursday night the Cardinals welcomed a tough Upper Iowa squad to Liberty, where they have caused multiple upsets this year. UIU started strong and jumped out to a commanding lead early. A 13-4 Jewell run over the final five minutes of the first half cut the Peacock lead to 39-37 at the break. Upper Iowa used the second half to continuously extend their lead, going up by as many as 19. Jewell were able to hit some three-pointers in the final few minutes but it was too little too late as UIU won 85-73. UIU forced WJC into 17 turnovers, scoring 24 points off of those turnovers. The Peacocks also held a 33-31 advantage in rebounds. Jewell was led in scoring by Jordan Jermain as he put up 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting, as well as bringing down 7 rebounds. Kobe McKinley put up 15 points and 8 boards of his own. Trey Shannon had 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting. 

Saturday afternoon the Cardinals welcomed Truman State in a battle of two teams fighting for a conference tournament berth. TSU and WJC traded blows in the first period as neither team was able to fully take control. The Bulldogs closed the half on an 11-2 run to take an eight point edge into the locker room. The start of the second half was all Cardinals as they scored the first ten points of the period. Truman wouldn't go away and made a 16-9 run of their own to go up by 1 point with two minutes to go. Isaac Patterson took over for Jewell from that point on as he scored five of the final seven Cardinal points. Patterson was able to get a driving layup to go down with five seconds left to secure the win. TSU had a shot in the final seconds to win but was off, as Jewell won 74-72. Jewell held a slight advantage in rebounds (32-28) and assists (14-13). Patterson was the game's leading scorer with 25 on 8-for-11 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three. Trey Shannon (13), Kobe McKinley (13), and Jordan Jermain (11) also finished with double-digit points. McKinley and Jermain also led the Cardinals with 8 rebounds each. 

The Cardinals are 4-3 on the road this season. WJC is averaging 76.3 points per game on 46.3% shooting. The Cardinals allow opponents to score 72.2 points per game on 47.8% shooting. Jewell won the previous matchup between the two on January 6 with a score of 76-73. 

 

Rockhurst (9-10, 5-6) 

The Hawks went 1-1 in their two home games last weekend. RU is 8th place in the GLVC Men's Basketball Point Rating System Rankings with an average rating of 3.045 points. 

On Thursday night the Hawks battled Truman State. Rockhurst ledthe entire way as they cruised to a 92-73 victory in Kansas City. RU jumped on the Bulldogs early, as they led 42-17 with six minutes left in the first half. A run by TSU chopped the lead to eleven at the break, but RU still was in complete control. Truman was able to chip away in the second half and got the lead all the way down to four points with nine minutes left in the contest. RU wouldn't let the Bulldogs get any closer as they finished the game on a 22-7 run to win 92-73. The Hawks pulled down 33 boards compared to TSU's 28. RU also scored 26 points off of 13 Truman turnovers. Five Hawks finished with double-digit points. Timaris Brown was the game's leading scorer (22) and rebounder (8). Nico Felici (20), Jake Auer (15), Nick Arensberg (11), and Brain Hawthorne (11) were the other Hawks in double-digits. 

On Saturday afternoon the Hawks squared off against one of the top teams in the conference, Upper Iowa. The Peacocks showed why they have been so successful this year as they controlled both halves to earn a 87-61 victory on the road. The Peacocks were only up five in the closing minutes of the first half, but ended the period on a 12-0 run to take a 47-30 into the break. The second half was more of the same as UIU never let RU within range. UIU held advantages in rebounds (39-32), assists (16-7), and bench points (17-13). The Hawks were led in scoring by Miles White with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Nico Felici was close behind with 13 points. Timaris Brown scored 6 points, but pulled down 11 boards. 

The Hawks are 3-4 on the road this season. RU is averaging 76.1 points per game on 44.2% shooting. The Cardinals allow opponents to score 73.2 points per game on 47.1% shooting. Rockhurst is third in three-point percentage at 38.1%. The Hawks are second in the conference as they average 10.6 made three-pointers per game. 

 

How to Watch

Every conference game this year will be streamed on GLVCSN behind a paywall. Live Stats are available through the UIS MBB schedule. To better understand how the Point System Rating works for basketball, visit the GLVC's site.

 

Up Next

UIS visits the St. Louis area next weekend as the Stars take on UMSL on Thursday and McKendree on Saturday.