Illinois Springfield had a slow start, trailing UIU 11-0 in the opening minutes. The Prairie Stars settled in midway through the period, sparked by senior Tye Banks, who scored a layup at the 16:37 mark to put UIS on the board. Jorden Williams followed with a three-pointer at 15:37 to cut the deficit to 14-7.
UIS continued to chip away behind defensive stops and timely shooting. Britton Dutton knocked down a three-pointer at 11:31 to narrow the gap, and the Prairie Stars gradually built momentum. Marlon Williams delivered a key three-pointer at 7:39 to give Illinois Springfield its first lead at 24-23, igniting the home crowd.
The Prairie Stars capitalized from there. Donaven Younger added a tip-in at 3:34 to extend the advantage, and Dutton converted a layup and free throw with 29 seconds left in the half. UIS closed the opening period on a surge to take a 45-37 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Illinois Springfield leaned on its seniors to maintain control. The Prairie Stars established a presence in the paint, scoring 14 second-half points inside. Banks continued his strong outing with a crucial three-pointer and multiple aggressive drives to the basket, finishing with a game-high 23 points and four makes from beyond the arc.
Upper Iowa applied pressure with transition opportunities and full- and half-court defense, but senior Jordan Rice handled the ball with poise. Rice directed the offense, broke pressure consistently and facilitated key possessions down the stretch. He finished with 14 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Marlon Williams contributed on both ends, including a momentum-shifting steal that halted a UIU push. Isaiah Davis added eight points, including a late three-pointer that extended the Prairie Stars’ lead in the closing minutes. Alex Stell and Rice each knocked down free throws in the final stretch as UIS went 16 of 22 at the line to seal the 82-77 win.
“I’m very happy for our seniors,” Brock said. “All three made huge plays in their last game on their home court. I thought our bench normalized the game early in the first half after our slow start. Tye Banks made big shots and Jordan Rice handled their full and half court pressure like the grizzled vet that he is.”
The victory sends the Prairie Stars into the final stretch of GLVC play at 17-9 overall and 13-5 in the league, while UIU falls to 16-10 and 11-8 in conference competition.
Up Next
UIS will play on the road at William Jewell and Rockhurst in the final week of the regular season.
