Tough Night for Prairie Stars

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Senior Paulina Pogorzelski led the Illinois-Springfield women’s basketball with 14 points Tuesday night. However, the Chicago, natives efforts weren’t enough, as the Prairie Stars fell 72-62 at St. Ambrose.

UIS (2-1) opened the game on an offensive furry jumping out to a 6-2 lead, and held SAU (5-1) without a field goal for nearly seven minutes. The only offensive scoring chances for SAU during the opening minutes came from the free throw line – connecting on five shots.

As the half continued UIS was able maintain the lead, as Cristina Nevins and Mallory Beck combined for five points to grab a 15-13 advantage. The Queens Bees, meanwhile, answered with four straight 3-point field goals by Annie Smith. Smith would later add another three taking SAU’s lead to 12.

The Prairie Stars were able to fight back and got the game back to six before the break, using an 11-5 run.

Opening the second half, UIS kept it within six early, but SAU went on a 7-1 run and doubled the Prairie Stars deficit. UIS wouldn’t get any further down, holding SAU to a 29 percent shooting night.

UIS though struggled to get second chance opportunities, as it was outrebounded 53-35. The Prairie Stars had just nine offensive rebounds, and scored just six points on second chance opportunities.

The next action for the Prairie Stars is Monday when they take on Blackburn at 5:30 p.m. in a ‘White Out Game’.