Illinois Springfield men’s basketball (12-6, 8-2 GLVC) overcame a 19-point deficit to pull away from Drury (8-10, 3-7 GLVC), 87-72, on Thursday night at the O’Reilly Family Event Center. The Prairie Stars outscored the Panthers 54-37 in the second half, fueled by strong inside scoring and efficient shooting that carried them to victory.
The Prairie Stars got off to a slow start as Drury connected on multiple three-pointers, leaving UIS down by as many as 19 points midway through the first half. An early bright spot came from Britton Dutton and Isaiah Davis, who each hit two three-pointers in the opening half. UIS gradually worked back into the game, posting 20 points in the paint before closing the half on a strong run. A dunk by Alex Stell brought the deficit to 10 with 3:15 remaining, giving the Prairie Stars momentum. Stell also made a tip-in at the buzzer to cut the gap to 35-33, giving UIS a foothold heading into the second half.
In the second half, Illinois Springfield surged. Dutton connected on yet another three, assisted by Jordan Rice, at 19:09 to spark a series of successful outside shots. Tye Banks’ layup at 7:20 extended the lead to six points, and the team maintained momentum with precise defense, efficient shooting, and strong ball movement, finishing with a 54-point half that sealed the 87-72 victory.
Dutton led the Prairie Stars with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three, extending his strong start to 2026. Rice added 17 points and seven assists, along with four rebounds. Isaiah Davis also scored 17 points, hitting 5-of-11 from deep and grabbing seven rebounds. Stell had a career night with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and all five of the team’s blocks.
“We dug ourselves into a huge hole early, but credit to our guys – they never stopped believing in each other,” coach Brock said. “I thought our defense tightened up over the final 30 minutes, which led to some easy transition baskets.”
UIS improves to 12-6 overall and 8-2 in GLVC play, while Drury falls to 8-10 and 3-7 in the conference.
Up Next
The Prairie Stars will face No. 9 Missouri S&T on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Rolla, Mo.
