UIS Men's Basketball faced a Big Ten opponent on Tuesday night, taking on Iowa in an exhibition matchup at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The Prairie Stars fell 88-64 in the preseason meeting.
UIS led 5-2 early behind a 3-pointer and a jumper from Isaiah Davis. Alex Stell grabbed the rebound off a missed layup and threw down a dunk to tie the score at 7 before Iowa began to pull away. Jorden Williams scored at the rim in the final seconds of the first half, sending UIS into the break trailing 42-28.
UIS put together its best stretch midway through the second half, getting a Landon Schlanger tip-in and five points from Adidas Davis to cut the deficit to 59-45 with 12:06 remaining. Iowa responded by holding the Prairie Stars to a single Quenton Parker layup over the next several minutes while extending its lead to 69-47. UIS shot 13-for-30 in the second half as Iowa closed out the 88-64 win.
Isaiah Davis and Alex Stell each finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Davis knocked down two 3-pointers, while Stell grabbed five offensive boards and added three assists. Britton Dutton contributed 11 points and two 3-pointers. Kobe Clark recorded a team-high two steals and added two rebounds.
"Really strong opposition tonight for the Stars," said head coach Matt Brock. "Iowa did a lot of things that made us uncomfortable, but I was pleased with our response in the second half. We cut down on turnovers, got the ball in better positions and got some good shots. Playing a really good team this early in the season allows us to see what we need to work on and what the highest level of playing hard looks like. It was a very good night for the Stars in that regard, and we're grateful for the opportunity to play a fantastic program like Iowa."
UIS will officially open its season at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, against Millikin at TRAC.
