Illinois Springfield men's basketball returns to action Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., hosting Missouri Baptist on World Basketball Day. The matchup carries a storyline connection, as seventh-year head coach Matt Brock previously led the Spartans before coming to UIS.

Illinois Springfield (7-3, 4-0 GLVC)
UIS is off to a strong start this season with several new contributors and opened conference action 4-0, highlighted by a road win at Missouri-St. Louis. The Prairie Stars are currently in a break from GLVC play and returned from finals week on Wednesday, falling 87-81 at Kentucky Wesleyan in a tightly contested non-conference game.

UIS held an early advantage before Kentucky Wesleyan edged ahead 40-39 at halftime. The second half remained close, but the Panthers shot 54 percent from the field while limiting UIS to 35 percent from three-point range, below the Prairie Stars' season average.

Jordan Rice led UIS with 19 points and eight assists, while Tye Banks added 17 points and has averaged 13.8 points over his last five games. Freshman Alex Stell continued his consistent play with 12 points and eight rebounds.

UIS ranks fifth in the GLVC in scoring at 79.8 points per game and leads the league in three-point percentage, shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc.

The Prairie Stars hold an 11-5 advantage in the all-time series with Missouri Baptist, though the teams have not met since 2009. Prior to arriving at UIS, Brock spent four seasons as head coach at Missouri Baptist, compiling an 87-40 record.

Missouri Baptist (10-2, 5-1 Heart of America)
The Spartans, an NAIA program from the Heart of America Conference, will count Sunday's contest as an exhibition. Missouri Baptist opened the season with nine straight wins before a loss at Graceland (Iowa) on Dec. 6 and has won two of its last four games.

In a 74-70 loss at Bethel on Tuesday, Javaris Moye paced MBU with 18 points, nine rebounds, and four steals. The Spartans were efficient overall, converting 45.6 percent of their shots, but struggled to generate perimeter scoring and left points at the free-throw line down the stretch.

Moye leads the Spartans at 18.2 points per game, while Merquiche Lewis is shooting 54.7 percent from the floor.

Missouri Baptist will play a neutral-site game against Columbia College on Friday before traveling to Springfield.

Follow Along
The game will be streamed live on GLVCSN, with live statistics available online.

Promotions
Sunday's game celebrates World Basketball Day, making it a perfect opportunity to enjoy the sport at TRAC. The afternoon will also feature a holiday theme, with holiday music throughout the game and fans encouraged to wear their best festive apparel.