Illinois Springfield men’s basketball fell to Cedarville, 65-62, in a closely contested matchup on Tuesday night at TRAC.
Jordan Rice set the tone early for UIS with two made free throws, followed by a three-pointer, helping establish an 11-4 lead after a Tye Banks triple at 16:15. Cedarville responded, tying the game at 19-19 on a three from Jordan Jonathan.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, Donaven Younger’s tip-in gave UIS a 23-21 edge. The Prairie Stars extended their lead to 33-29 by halftime with a late jumper from Rice and two free throws by Adidas Davis.
The second half opened with early jumpers from Banks and Rice, pushing the lead to six. Isaiah Davis hit a key three-pointer at 17:35, assisted by Rice, giving UIS a 40-31 advantage. Cedarville chipped away, eventually tying the game at 47. The teams traded baskets in the closing seconds, but UIS was unable to connect on a potential tying shot to force overtime, falling 65-62.
Rice led the team with 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Banks added 11 points, five rebounds, and a block, while Younger finished with eight points, five rebounds, and a block.
Head coach Matt Brock reflected on the game, saying, “It was a coin flip. I give them credit for a good second half. Cedarville is a very good basketball team. I liked our defense – we held a high-powered offense below 70 points. Plenty of positives going forward.”
The Prairie Stars are now 3-2 overall as they enter GLVC play
Up Next
Conference play begins on Saturday afternoon at Missouri-St. Louis. The Prairie Stars then return to TRAC next week for a busy stretch of GLVC doubleheaders on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
