Rolla, Mo. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners used an early three-point barrage hitting four three's in the opening quarter of its 59-49 win over Illinois Springfield on Thursday evening at Billy Key Court. The Lady Miners (9-13, 4-10 GLVC) led for virtually the entire game and held the Prairie Stars (8-14, 2-12 GLVC) to just 24.6 percent shooting from the floor which was a season best for S&T on the defensive end.

The Lady Miners raced out to an early five point lead but UIS hung around and trailed 12-11 with 3:28 to go in the opening quarter after a layup by Destiny Ramsey. Maddie Raley (Haubstadt, Ind./Gibson Southern) provided a spark off the bench for S&T scoring eight of the next nine points to extend the lead to 21-11 with 0:25 left in the opening period. Syerra Cunningham hit a pair of free throws with 0:10 left to cut the deficit to eight at the quarter break.

The Lady Miners shot 75 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the three-point in the stanza while holding the Prairie Stars to just 33 percent shooting.

Both teams struggled to score early in the second quarter as UIS held S&T without a point for the first 5:35 of the period. The Prairie Stars were able to cut the Lady Miner lead to 21-20 on a three from Caroline Kelty nearly halfway through the stanza. Raetchel Gray (Allen, Okla./Byng ) snapped the dry spell hitting her second trifecta of the half extending the lead to four and then after a bucket on the other end hit her third trey to extend the lead to back to five.

S&T ended the half scoring seven of the last 10 points to head into halftime with a 34-27 advantage. Gray scored 11 of her 14 points in the first 20 minutes while Raley and Elsie Greenwood (Breckenridge, Mo./Penney High School) added eight points each.

The two sides traded buckets for most of the third quarter as both teams were ice cold shooting the ball. UIS made only two of 20 shots while the Lady Miners were just 3-for-16 from the field. The Prairie Stars outscored S&T 10-9 in the frame to cut the lead to 43-37 heading into the final quarter.

The Lady Miners opened the fourth period with a 7-2 run to extend its lead to double digits for the first time since late in the opening frame. UIS was able to cut the deficit to 52-46 after a three by Shelbi Patterson with 5:41 left in the contest. S&T responded with seven straight points getting four of those from Jamy Douvier (Sedgwick, Kan./Sunrise Christian Academy) to build its largest lead of the game at 13 points with 1:01 left in the contest. The Prairie Stars added three points in the last minute for the final margin.

Gray led three Lady Miners in double figures with her 14 points while Greenwood chipped in with 12 and Douvier dropped home 11. S&T finished the game shooting 40 percent (20-for-50) from the field, was 8-of-15 from downtown and shot 79 percent at the foul line. It was outrebounded by UIS 47-to-39 but outscored them by eight points in points off turnovers.

Cunningham led all scorers with 15 points and had 12 rebounds. She was joined in double figures by Ramsey with 12 points and Patterson finished with 11. The Prairie Stars made only 17-of-69 shots from the floor, were 2-for-12 from three and shot 72 percent at the foul line.

The Lady Miners are back at home on Saturday afternoon hosting McKendree in a 1 p.m. tip at Billy Key Court. Saturday's contest is also Military Appreciation Day at S&T with all military members, active or retired, admitted free to the game along with their immediate family members. The Lady Miners will also be honoring their four seniors between games of the doubleheader.