ROLLA, Mo. – A thinner Missouri S&T men's basketball team was unable to overcome two Illinois Springfield runs Thursday night as it dropped an 87-75 Great Lakes Valley Conference decision at Billy Key Court.

The Miners, who were playing without four regulars in the rotation due to illness, had a 14-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half after Jalen Myers (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) knocked down back-to-back three-pointers as part of an 16-point half.

However, following his second three-pointer that gave S&T a 28-14 lead, the Prairie Stars outscored S&T 25-4 over the next six minutes and took a seven-point advantage into the final moments of the period before Brooks Gerrity (Chesterfield, Mo./Marquette) hit a three-pointer at buzzer to cut the margin to four at the break.

S&T trailed by three early in the second half after Juwan Miller (Kitchener, Ont./Huron Heights) hit a driving lay-up, but UIS ran off 11 of the next 13 points to take its largest lead of 13 just over five minutes into the half.

After Miller hit another jumper two minutes later to trim the lead to nine, Eddie Longmeyer hit a three-pointer to put the Prairie Star lead into double figures for good.

UIS (8-15, 3-11 GLVC) connected on 53.6 percent of its shots from the floor and made 13 three-pointers, getting a combined 11 from Lijah Donnelly -- who led the Prairie Stars with 21 points – and Vince Walker, who added 17 points.

Randy Holmes (St. Louis, MO/Soldan International Studies) scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Miners (9-12, 3-11 GLVC) as he went 10-of-14 from the floor and four-of-six from three-point land on the night.  S&T finished with four players in double figures and shot 44.6 percent in the game while making 10 three-pointers.

Myers was held to two points in the second half but finished with 18, while Gerrity had his first career double figure outing with 11 points and Miller finished with 10 and a career-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

The Miners will host McKendree Saturday on Military Appreciation Day at Billy Key Court.  All military members – active or retired – along with their immediate families will be admitted free to Saturday's 3 p.m. contest with the Bearcats.