The Illinois Springfield men's basketball team opened its week at home Monday with a thrilling 61-60 win over William Jewell. The Prairie Stars will remain at the TRAC for two more conference games this week, facing McKendree Thursday at 7:30 PM for Hy-Vee Youth Sports Day and Maryville Saturday at 3:00 PM for a Blue Out.
Illinois Springfield (5-2, 2-0 GLVC)
UIS has started GLVC play with two wins, beginning with an 86-76 victory at UMSL on Saturday, marking the program's first win there since 2018. Monday's game against William Jewell featured historic milestones as Jordan Rice scored 40 points, tying the program's single-game scoring record, surpassing the DII-era record, and hitting the game-winning jumper with under five seconds left.
Against WJC, UIS trailed 28-24 at halftime and faced a ten-point deficit with three minutes to play. Rice's three-pointer cut the gap to seven, while Tye Banks added a layup and Isaiah Davis made two free throws as part of the late-game comeback. UIS forced three consecutive turnovers in the final two minutes to regain possession and secure the win. The Prairie Stars shot 36.1% from the field and 20% from three-point range in the game, a statistic they'll look to improve during the rest of the homestand.
Rice remains the GLVC leader in scoring at 23.7 points per game and also leads in assists with 4.7 per game. Other top performers include Alex Stell, ranked fifth in rebounding at 7.9 per game, and Isaiah Davis, the league leader in three-pointers made per game.
McKendree (5-1, 1-0 GLVC)
McKendree's GLVC slate got off to a late start after their planned opener at Maryville was postponed until next week due to weather. They opened Monday against Rockhurst with a 95-85 double-overtime win. Cha'Vez Woods scored a career-high 35 points to lead the Bearcats. McKendree shot 58.6% from the field and made 20 free throws at 62.5%, but also allowed Rockhurst 22 made free throws.
Woods ranks seventh in GLVC scoring at 18.2 points per game, while Rini Harris is sixth in rebounding at seven per game and averages 11.7 points. This matchup continues a longstanding rivalry that began with the founding of UIS men's basketball in 2002. McKendree leads the all-time series 23-12, though the GLVC record is closer at 21-15 in favor of the Bearcats.
The Prairie Stars and McKendree Bearcats first met on the court in 2002, building a long-standing rivalry. Over 40 matchups, UIS holds 17 wins and 23 losses overall, including a 15-21 record as conference opponents in the GLVC.
Maryville (1-4, 0-0 GLVC)
Maryville has postponed its first two GLVC games due to weather, setting its conference opener for Thursday at UIndy. Most recently, the Saints defeated Union (Tenn.) 78-71 on Nov. 24. Top players include Evan Palmquist, averaging 16 points per game on 43.3% shooting, and Kobe Clark, who averages nine rebounds per game. Henry Sanchez, Eric Hackett, and Preston Clark also contribute double-digit scoring.
Follow Along
Fans can watch UIS men's basketball live on GLVCSN or follow live stats at uisprairiestars.com throughout the season.
Promotions
Thursday is Hy-Vee Youth Sports Day: free admission for youth under 12 in their basketball team jerseys. Saturday is a Blue Out, encouraging fans to wear blue to show support for the Prairie Stars.
