The UIS women's basketball team showed grit but fell short in a tightly contested 74-68 loss to William Jewell College in Monday night's Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) clash at the Mabee Center.
Game Summary
- The Prairie Stars faced an uphill battle early as William Jewell jumped out to a 24-15 first-quarter advantage behind hot shooting from Ayden Shannon, who would finish with 22 points
- UIS stayed within striking distance by forcing 8 first-half turnovers out of a Cardinals team ranked No. 12 in NCAA Division II for fewest turnovers per game
- Both teams faced adversity, each losing a starter with plenty of game time remaining. UIS and William Jewell adjusted on the fly, relying on their bench depth and defensive strategies to compensate for the absences
- UIS chipped away at the deficit behind timely shots and defensive pressure, with Kayla Rice and Saharra Murphy combining for eight steals
- Rice hit a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter to give UIS its first lead of the game at 52-50. From there, the teams traded blows in a tightly contested battle as the Prairie Stars fought to keep pace.
- Rice's sharpshooting helped UIS stay competitive, but a mid-quarter run by the Cardinals secured the win for the home team
- Despite the loss, UIS showed promise, with 40 points in the paint and key contributions from the bench
- Kayla Rice led all scorers with 26 points, including six three-pointers, and gave the Prairie Stars their first lead of the game with a clutch triple late in the third quarter. Emari Doby added 18 points, while Allysia McDaniel contributed 10 points and a strong presence in the paint
UIS will travel to St. Louis, Mo., to face the Maryville Saints at 5:15 p.m.on Thursday.
Around the GLVC
Lewis 68, Indianapolis 41
Upper Iowa 88, Quincy 84
Missouri-St. Louis 75, Maryville 53
William Jewell 74, Illinois Springfield 68
Missouri S&T 70, Lincoln 49
McKendree 66, Rockhurst 61
Drury 84, Southwest Baptist 70