The Illinois Springfield men's basketball team fought back from a 20-point deficit but ultimately fell 87-80 to Lewis on Saturday afternoon at Neil Carey Arena. With the loss, the Prairie Stars dropped to 12-14 overall and 7-11 in GLVC play. 

Game Recap 

• The game started evenly, tied at 9-9, with both teams finding early success inside. However, Lewis pulled away with a series of three-pointers, hitting four straight attempts to build a double-digit lead.
• UIS fought back with buckets from Jack Weber and Tye Banks but trailed by as many as 13 points. A Weber free throw cut it to 29-18 as the teams continued to battle.
• The Flyers took control, outscoring UIS 45-27 in the half while shooting 56.7% from the field and 43.8% from deep. UIS struggled to keep pace, shooting just 34.5% overall and 18.2% from beyond the arc.
• Lewis extended its lead to its largest margin, 49-29, early in the second half. UIS responded with a more efficient offensive attack, chipping away at the deficit with a balanced scoring effort. Nate Shockey helped lead the charge, scoring six of the team's first 18 points after the break.
• Midway through the half, the Prairie Stars closed in, cutting the deficit to single digits on back-to-back threes from Max Kunnert with 11:15 to play. Khalil Ross also played a key role in the second-half push, helping UIS stay within striking distance.
• With 90 seconds to play, Rob Stroud delivered a dunk and a layup for Lewis, but Shockey answered with a three to bring UIS within seven. The Flyers, however, held off the rally to secure the win.
• Kunnert led UIS with 21 points, knocking down five three-pointers. Shockey and Ross each added 15 points, with Ross grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds in his double-double.

Up Next
UIS returns home to TRAC next weekend to close out the regular season against William Jewell and Rockhurst.

Around the GLVC
Lewis 87, Illinois Springfield 80
Missouri S&T 78, Rockhurst 77
Missouri-St. Louis 86, Truman State 62
Upper Iowa 84, McKendree 82
Quincy 82, Maryville 75
Lincoln 67, William Jewell 60
Drury 89, Southwest Baptist 59