The UIS men's basketball team returns to the Prairie Stars home court this week for a pair of important GLVC matchups against No. 9 Missouri S&T on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Drury on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Illinois Springfield (9-8, 4-5 GLVC)
UIS enters the week fresh off a pair of much-needed road wins in GLVC play, gaining momentum for this week's contests against two strong conference teams.

On Thursday, UIS faced a back-and-forth battle at Southwest Baptist, with 11 lead changes and seven ties. The fast-paced contest saw SBU take an early 15-10 lead, and UIS trailed by two at halftime. Out of the break, the Prairie Stars heated up from beyond the arc, including a 7-0 run that put them in a favorable position late. However, with just 9 seconds left, SBU hit a three-pointer to tie the game. A clutch free throw by Tye Banks gave UIS a one-point advantage, and the Bearcats' final shot missed, allowing the Stars to escape with a 68-67 victory.

At Rockhurst on Saturday, UIS found its defensive rhythm in an 81-73 win. The game was another tight contest, with Rockhurst leading 33-32 at the half. UIS took control early in the second half, sparked by a three-pointer from Khalil Ross, while Rockhurst missed its first three attempts from deep. After trailing by as many as eight points, UIS remained poised. The Hawks fought back within three, but UIS closed it out strong to win 81-73.

Tye Banks and Khalil Ross have been standout performers in recent games. Banks has averaged 7.8 points per game over the last five contests, while Ross has been averaging 11.8 points, making six three-pointers in three of those five games. Max Kunnert continues to lead the team, averaging 16.4 points per game.

No. 9 Missouri S&T (14-1, 8-0 GLVC)
The No. 9-ranked Missouri S&T Miners remain undefeated in GLVC play and head to TRAC this week after securing a trio of wins in the last six days. 

In their 88-78 win over Maryville, the Miners erased an early 25-17 deficit, rallying to close the gap to 46-43 by halftime. A strong defensive effort and near-perfect shooting in the first five minutes of the second half allowed them to pull ahead. The Miners cruised to their fifth consecutive win, with the starters leaving the floor with 90 seconds to play, leading by 16 points.

On Saturday, Missouri S&T defeated Missouri-St. Louis 88-84 to extend their home win streak to 12 games. The game was tightly contested, with the Tritons briefly taking their first lead at 12:13 of the second half. In the tense final moments, S&T regained the advantage, and with 27 seconds left, Lovell Williams connected with Andrew Young under the basket for the game-winning points.

Monday's game against William Jewell resulted in a 20-point victory for Missouri S&T. Leading 31-30 at the half, the Miners scored 49 points in the second half, while the Cardinals managed only 30, securing an 80-60 win.
Andrew Young is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game with an impressive 60.1% field goal percentage. The Miners boast the conference's top offense, averaging 87.6 points per game and shooting 51.8% from the field, making them the only team ahead of UIS in team field goal percentage.

Drury (8-8, 3-6 GLVC)
The Panthers from Springfield, Mo., started 2025 with a tough stretch of four GLVC losses, including one to then-No. 17-ranked Missouri S&T. However, Drury bounced back over the weekend with home wins against McKendree and Maryville.

Against McKendree, the Panthers had a strong first half, shooting efficiently and taking a 45-35 lead into halftime. DU extended its lead to as many as 14 points before holding off a strong challenge from the Bearcats, who cut the margin to just two. Drury regained control and secured the win, 84-70.

On Saturday, Drury hosted Maryville and made a move midway through the first half to pull ahead by 12 points, maintaining that lead at halftime. The Saints mounted a few key runs in the second half, pulling within seven points twice. Drury responded from long-range, hitting nine of 15 three-point attempts in the second half to build a comfortable cushion, and cruised to victory.

Zach Howell leads Drury with 15.3 points per game, while Juok Riak follows closely at 12.6. The Panthers average 74.9 points per game, shooting 46.1% overall and 47.9% from three.

Drury is set to face Indianapolis on Thursday night before traveling to UIS.

Promotions
Thursday's matchup against Missouri S&T will feature a White Out theme, encouraging fans to wear white and bring energy to TRAC.

Saturday's game against Drury is expected to draw a packed house as UIS celebrates Family Day. Alumni will be in attendance, and it's also Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day, with UIS faculty and staff eligible for four free tickets each. The Prairie Stars will look to give their home crowd plenty to cheer about as they take on the tough Panthers. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the Stars during this exciting week of GLVC basketball action

Follow Along
The games will be streamed live on the GLVC Sports Network, and live statistics are available for fans who would like to follow online.