The UIS men's basketball team returns to TRAC on Wednesday night for a non-conference showdown. The Prairie Stars will host the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers, with tipoff set for 6:00 p.m. in Springfield.
Illinois Springfield (4-5, 1-3 GLVC)
The Prairie Stars played two road conference games last weekend in the St. Louis area, winning against Maryville on Thursday and falling to McKendree on Saturday. On Thursday night, UIS got out to an early lead against the Saints behind strong defense and points in the paint. It was a team effort in the first half for the Stars as they headed into the break with a commanding 38-25 lead. Within the first two minutes of the second half, UIS looked to have the game under control as they built their lead to seventeen. The Saints would not go quietly, as they pulled off a 13-0 run to cut the Prairie Stars' lead to four points with plenty of time to go. The teams went back and forth as UIS built the lead back up to nine points multiple times, but Maryville continued to stay close. Maryville finally took the lead with 2:20 left with a three-pointer. Another three by the Saints gave them a four-point advantage with only 1:52 remaining, forcing the Stars to call a timeout. The timeout allowed UIS to regroup and finish the game on an 11-0 run to earn a thrilling road win, 78-71.
The tough road games continued for the Prairie Stars on Saturday against a strong McKendree squad. The Bearcats came out on fire from the field, shooting over 57% both overall and from behind the arc. UIS was unable to keep up, as the Stars shot just 18% from three-point range. McKendree's largest lead in the first half was eighteen, but UIS battled back somewhat to trim the Bearcats' lead before halftime. McKendree entered the break with a 43-32 advantage. The second half was an offensive showcase, as both teams were unable to string together defensive stops. UIS cut the Bearcats' lead to nine points on multiple occasions but was unable to get it any lower. McKendree's strong free-throw shooting as a team kept the Prairie Stars at a safe distance, giving the Bearcats a 92-82 victory.
UIS currently averages 73.4 points per game on 51.6% shooting from the field and 40.6% shooting from three. The Prairie Stars also average 32.7 rebounds, 12.6 assists, and 4.6 steals per game. UIS shoots 63.6% from the free-throw line as a team. Max Kunnert leads the Stars with 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Jack Weber averages 12.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, and 3.0 apg after a strong weekend. Khalil Ross is currently averaging 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Nate Shockey follows, averaging 9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Kentucky Wesleyan (4-2, 0-0 GMAC)
The Panthers have yet to begin their GMAC slate but are currently riding a four-game winning streak. KWC has already faced two GLVC opponents this winter, losing to both Indianapolis and Lincoln in the first weekend of the season.
The Panthers played King on Saturday in an entertaining affair for both sides. The first half was a battle as neither side was able to take control of the game. The half featured nine lead changes, with King entering the intermission with a 44-41 lead. Both teams continued their fight into the second half, with King starting to pull away from Kentucky Wesleyan. The Tornadoes opened up their biggest lead of the afternoon, 72-59, with 7:45 remaining in the game. A 9-0 run from KWC cut the deficit to only four points to set up a photo finish. The Panthers continued to get stops on defense and were able to score the ball at will to take the lead back with 2:45 left. KWC never looked back once they gained the advantage, building upon it until the final buzzer. Kentucky Wesleyan went on 27-4 run from 7:45 left to the end of the game. The late push from the Panthers gave them an 86-76 victory, extending their winning streak. Five different Panthers finished with double-digit points, with Logan McIntire leading the way with 30 points.
KWC currently averages 82.8 points per game on 49.6% shooting from the field and 36.7% shooting from three-point range. The Panthers also average 42.0 rebounds, 17.8 assists, and 5.3 steals per game. Kentucky Wesleyan shoots 73.8% from the free-throw line as a team. Logan McIntire leads the Panthers with 16.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Kennedy Miles averages 14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, and 1.6 spg. Quentin Toles currently averages 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals. Edward Jones Jr. averages 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Fatih Huyuk also averages 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.