Illinois Springfield travels for a midweek matchup against Purdue Northwest on Wednesday, Dec. 18, followed by a tough test against Grand Valley State on Friday, Dec. 20.

Illinois Springfield (4-6, 1-3 GLVC)

The Prairie Stars aim to stay undefeated against Purdue Northwest, holding a 2-0 all-time record, including an 85-76 win last December. UIS comes off a narrow 70-64 home loss to Kentucky Wesleyan, where the Stars shot 40.9% from the field but struggled from deep at 28.6%.

Max Kunnert leads UIS with 16.0 points per game, shooting an efficient 49.1%. The team averages 72.5 points per game and boasts a 50.3% field goal percentage, ranking 19th in NCAA Division II.

Purdue Northwest (2-6, 0-2 GLIAC)

The Pride fell to Michigan Tech 92-59 in their last game on Dec. 7, undone by a 22-6 first-half run. PNW averages 79.6 points per game, shooting 45.9% overall and 34.9% from three-point range.

Jailen Nelson leads PNW with 15.3 points per game on 45.7% shooting and a stellar 96.7% free throw percentage. Collin Albert adds 15.0 points per game, forming a duo that will challenge the UIS defense.

Grand Valley (6-2, 2-0 GLIAC)

The Lakers, receiving votes in the Dec. 8 NABC Coaches Poll, split their last two games. On Dec. 7, GVSU edged Wayne State 65-63 behind Trevon Gunter's 14 points and a team-high 11 steals.

On Monday, GVSU dropped a double-overtime heartbreaker to Indianapolis, 88-86. Kaden Brown led the way with a career-high 32 points, hitting 8-of-15 from three. The Lakers shot 41% overall and outrebounded UIndy 43-41 but couldn't convert a game-winning shot at the final buzzer.

The Lakers are averaging 79.8 points per game, shooting an efficient 47.5% from the field and 39.4% from three-point range. They also average 40.7 rebounds, 13.6 assists, and 5.6 steals per contest. Kaden Brown leads GVSU in scoring with 13.2 points per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and an impressive 44.1% from beyond the arc. William Dunn follows with 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, shooting .466 overall and .750 from the free-throw line.

Follow Along
Both host schools will stream the games live on FloSports.