The Illinois Springfield men's basketball team returns to TRAC on Tuesday night for its home opener, hosting NAIA opponent Judson at 7:00 p.m. The game serves as the culminating event of UIS Spirit Week, with fans encouraged to wear blue and gold as campus energy builds around the first home basketball game of the season. UIS enters the contest 1-1 after opening its year on the road.

Illinois Springfield (1-1)
The Prairie Stars began their season at Wisconsin-Parkside's conference crossover, where they faced a pair of important regional opponents. UIS delivered a convincing 88-56 win over Roosevelt to start the year, marking an impressive blend of production from both returners and newcomers. Jordan Rice, competing for the first time since missing all of last season, scored 21 points on .529 shooting in his return. Isaiah Davis added 15 points on five made threes, and Adidas Davis reached double figures with 11. Freshman forward Alex Stell made an immediate impact in his collegiate debut, finishing with nine points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.

UIS then fell 95-77 to host Parkside on Saturday evening despite a career-high performance from Rice, who scored 30 points on .500 shooting to push his early-season average to 25.5 points per game. Parkside limited opportunities in the paint for the Prairie Stars and knocked down perimeter shots at a steady pace, building a lead of 10 points that the Prairie Stars were unable to close. Still, UIS returns home with an encouraging mix of scoring options and will look to extend its streak of 23 consecutive home-opening victories.

Judson (2-4)
Judson makes the trip to Springfield after splitting its weekend with a win over Kuyper and a loss at Grace Christian. The Eagles are averaging 73 points and shooting 43.9 percent from the field through six games while converting just 25.9 percent of their attempts from three. Hunter Duncan and Luke Stoddard have started every game, with Duncan pacing the team at 15.5 points per game. Duncan, a newcomer for the Eagles, has emerged as their most versatile scoring threat and recorded 23 points, eight steals, and seven assists in the win at Kuyper. Fernando Perez Jr. added 18 points off the bench in that matchup.

Both teams are expected to play at a fast tempo, setting up an entertaining early-season matchup in Springfield on Tuesday night.

Follow Along
All UIS games stream live on GLVCSN, and live stats are linked on the UIS men's basketball schedule page.