Illinois Springfield claimed a 73-64 victory over Drury in a GLVC contest at TRAC on Saturday afternoon.
"Tremendous job by our guys defending in that first half," said Coach Brock. "We shared the ball and made the extra pass to make good shots great shots. Evan shot it in, Jorden Williams handled their pressure, and Khalil did a terrific job on the defensive boards."
Game Recap
- The game started tight, then Jorden Williams put UIS up 15-12 with a three-pointer. Following that, Max Kunnert extended the lead to 18-12 with another three. Meanwhile, Drury struggled from beyond the arc, missing their first five three-point attempts. UIS took advantage of the Panthers' poor shooting, building a 24-14 lead as Drury was forced into tough shots.
- UIS continued to stifle Drury's offense, extending the lead to 27-14 through a series of layups. Evan Altman and Max Kunnert hit back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the lead beyond 20 points. Drury went silent for over six minutes, and UIS entered halftime with a commanding 35-14 lead.
- The second half started with more balanced scoring, as Drury began to find their rhythm. However, Evan Altman scored six of the first eight points for UIS, keeping their offense clicking. Despite Drury's efforts to close the gap, UIS held firm.
- Drury strung together 10 points midway through the second half, cutting the deficit to 55-44. With about six minutes remaining, Drury had trimmed the lead to under 10 points. However, the Panthers still struggled from three-point range, while UIS continued to excel from the free-throw line.
- The game tightened with just over four minutes left when Drury made it a one-possession game. Both teams then endured a scoreless stretch, but Evan Altman broke the silence with key free throws, pushing UIS' lead to five points. With less than two minutes to go, Jack Weber hit a deep two-pointer that sparked the crowd at TRAC.
- Max Kunnert then made a pair of free throws after Drury was hit with a technical foul. UIS sealed the game by hitting 7-of-10 free throws in the final moments, securing the 73-64 victory.
- Evan Altman led all scorers with 30 points, shooting 9-12 from the field and 9-11 from the free-throw line. Max Kunnert, Khalil Ross, and Tye Banks each finished with 10 points
- UIS shot 52.3% from the field, 43.8% from three, and 74.1% from the free-throw line. Drury, on the other hand, shot 38.7% from the field, 11.1% from three, and 57.9% from the free-throw line.
Illinois Springfield will travel to St. Louis, Mo., on Thursday next week to take on the Tritons in another GLVC showdown.
Around the GLVC
Illinois Springfield 73, Drury 65
Indianapolis 78, Southwest Baptist 62
Rockhurst 86, Lewis 86
Missouri S&T 84, McKendree 69
Upper Iowa 75, William Jewell 55
Truman State 80, Quincy 76
Lincoln vs. Maryville POSTPONED