The UIS men's basketball team will hit the road this week as they look to earn their first conference win of the season. The Prairie Stars will play Maryville on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and McKendree on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Illinois Springfield (3-4, 0-2 GLVC)
UIS played William Jewell on Monday night for their second conference game in three days. It was another matchup where the Prairie Stars led for a large portion but ultimately fell to a loss. UIS jumped out to an early lead behind some hot shooting, but Jewell never let the Stars build a sizeable lead. UIS went into the half ahead 40-38 over the Cardinals. William Jewell finally grabbed the lead with 8:15 to play. The final few minutes saw back-and-forth action, including four lead changes, but the Prairie Stars were unable to stop the Cardinals' offense. UIS fell to 0-2 in the GLVC with the 74-67 loss in Liberty.

UIS currently averages 71.6 points per game on 52.3% shooting from the field and 44.9% shooting from three. The Prairie Stars also average 30.7 rebounds, 13.0 assists, and 4.4 steals per game. UIS shoots 62.7% from the free-throw line as a team. Max Kunnert leads the Stars with 17.0 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game. Khalil Ross is currently averaging 11.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Jack Weber also averages 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

Maryville (1-6, 0-2 GLVC)
The Saints also had a difficult time on Monday night against UMSL. The Tritons gained an early advantage and never looked back on their way to a thirty-point win. The first half was all Tritons, as multiple runs pushed UMSL's lead to 41-22 at the intermission. The second half was more even, but UMSL continued to increase their lead for an 83-53 victory.

Maryville currently averages 63.6 points per game on 44.3% shooting from the field and 31.7% shooting from three. The Saints also average 28.1 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 8.1 steals per game as a team. Maryville shoots 58.1% from the charity stripe. Keyyaun Batchman leads the Saints with 12.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 2.0 assists per game. Lucas Burton averages 11.6 points per game and 2.3 rebounds per game. Dewayne Vass also averages 11.0 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, and 2.5 assists per game.

McKendree (5-3, 2-0 GLVC)
The Bearcats tough schedule to open the season has paid dividends as McKendree has opened the GLVC with a 2-0 record following their overtime win at Rockhurst on Monday night. McKendree has already played three ranked teams this season. On Monday night, both the Bearcats and Hawks traded buckets in a physical game. The first half ended with Rockhurst taking a five-point lead behind some late buckets. McKendree opened the second half on fire from the field, going on a 13-0 run to take the lead. Rockhurst responded with a 15-2 run of their own to take a seven point lead with 11 minutes remaining. As time wound down, Rockhurst continued to keep McKendree at a safe distance. With 2:35 left in regulation, the game's momentum shifted towards the Bearcats as they went on an 11-3 run, capped by a Joey Niesman game-tying three with seconds remaining. The Bearcats rode this momentum behind Niesman in the overtime period as they were able to pull out a 91-86 victory. 

McKendree currently averages 73.8 points per game on 47.3% shooting from the field and 37.7% shooting from three. The Bearcats currently average 30.1 rebounds, 12.4 assists, and 7.4 steals per game as a team. McKendree also shoots 75.8% from the free-throw line. Kevin Stein leads the Bearcats with 15.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 4.6 assists per game. Joey Niesman currently averages 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 2.0 apg. Hayden Meakes averages 12.5 ppg. Noah Franklin also averages double-digit points at 10.1 per game and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Men's Basketball Schedule
Men's Basketball Stats
GLVC Men's Basketball Standings