The UIS men's basketball team improved to 5-6 with a thrilling 80-78 win over Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Ind., on Wednesday night.
"I'm so proud of our guys' resilience tonight," head coach Matt Brock said. "We led for a lot of the second half, then went down, but they still believed in each other. I thought our second group—Nate [Shockey], Tye [Banks], and Isaiah [Esker]—were key to the victory."
Game Recap
- Purdue Northwest came out strong, leading by as many as 13 points in the first half. Despite being outshot 51.7% to 43.8% from the field and 60% to 50% from beyond the arc, the Prairie Stars closed the gap to trail by just three at halftime, 37-34, following a crucial 10-0 run
- The second half saw momentum swing back and forth. UIS briefly took a six-point lead before PNW rallied with back-to-back three-pointers and a free throw to reclaim a 72-71 advantage
- In the final minute, Isaiah Esker made a pivotal play, grabbing a rebound off a missed free throw and converting it into a layup to put UIS ahead 76-75
- Two clutch free throws by Max Kunnert extended the lead to 78-75, but PNW's Collin Albert buried a three-pointer with just seven seconds remaining to tie the game
- With time running out, Jack Weber delivered a long inbound pass to Khalil Ross, who drove inside and sank the game-winning shot with less than a second remaining, securing the 80-78 victory for UIS
- Evan Altman tied his career-high with 20 points, including six three-pointers, and added eight rebounds. Max Kunnert contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, while Jack Weber and Isaiah Esker each added 10 points
- UIS shot 48.5% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range
The Prairie Stars continue their road trip with a matchup against Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., on Friday at 4:00 p.m. Central Time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.