Illinois Springfield women's basketball (13-14, 10-9 GLVC) dominated William Jewell (1-24, 1-18 GLVC), 105-55, with a commanding performance that included 22 assists and forcing 20 turnovers.
 

It marked the Prairie Stars' first triple-digit performance since a 101-96 home win over UIndy in February 2024. While 100-point outings have been rare, lopsided victories have not — UIS also defeated Saturday's opponent, Rockhurst, by 50 points in an 86-36 win back in January.

The 105-point total ranks as the third-highest single-game total in program history, trailing only the 117 points scored against MacMurray (Nov. 13, 2017) and 106 versus RMU-Springfield (Nov. 29, 2017).

UIS seized control early, starting with a 9-0 run that kept the Cardinals scoreless for 5:16. Julia Mingus opened the scoring with a layup at 8:44, and Kennedy Osterman extended the lead with a fastbreak layup at 6:01. The Prairie Stars displayed a strong defensive effort, generating five steals in the quarter and converting them into points, including a three-pointer by Kayla Rice at 5:36, assisted by Molly Knight. 

The Prairie Stars converted eight WJC turnovers into 14 points in the first 10 minutes. Makenna Yeager added helped build a 14-2 led with a three-pointer and a driving layup. The Prairie Stars concluded the quarter with a commanding presence in the paint, leading 27-12.

UIS put on a dominant offensive display in the second quarter, a surge that helped Kennedy Osterman match her career single-game high with 22 first-half points. Her three-pointer at 9:45, assisted by Allison Wheeler, was a key moment. The team extended its advantage beyond 30 points midway through the half. The Prairie Stars' defense was equally effective, forcing five turnovers and limiting William Jewell to just two field goals. The quarter ended with the Prairie Stars leading 62-21 after the 35-point period.

In the third quarter, the Prairie Stars maintained control with strategic plays, highlighted by Molly Knight's impactful performance. Knight scored five consecutive points, including a jumper at 2:57 and a three-pointer at 2:15, contributing to the Prairie Stars' steady scoring. Despite a bit of a momentum shift coming out of halftime, UIS relied on free throws and defensive rebounds to keep the third quarter even at 16-16.

The Prairie Stars dominated the fourth quarter, opening with a jumper by Julia Mingus at the 8:04 mark and continuing their offensive surge from there. Molly Knight and Allysia McDaniel followed with key baskets to extend the lead, while UIS maintained defensive pressure with two more steals and continued to capitalize on William Jewell turnovers. Kennedy Osterman later assisted on multiple scoring plays before knocking down a three-pointer to push the Prairie Stars into triple digits for her final points of the night, capping a 27-point quarter for UIS. The game concluded with a decisive 105-55 UIS victory.

Kennedy Osterman led the scoring with 31 points, including four three-pointers. Kayla Rice contributed 16 points and recorded two steals, enhancing the defensive effort. Julia Mingus added 10 points, while also collecting four steals and four assists. Molly Knight distributed the ball effectively, finishing with seven assists and 10 points.

"Our goal is to close the season out strong and hope the chips fall in our favor," said head coach Olivia Birt. "Tonight we made sure to handle our part and we're excited to get back to work for Saturday. We truly shared the ball well and had some of our best ball movement of the season."

The Prairie Stars have a record of 13-14 overall and 10-9 in GLVC play. William Jewell stands at 1-24 overall and 1-18 within the GLVC.

Up Next
UIS gears up for the regular season finale, scheduled for noon on Saturday at Rockhurst.