ROLLA, MO- The Miners (1-7, 1-7 GLVC) look to get back on track this week when they host the Hawks of Quincy University this Saturday afternoon in Gibson Arena.

After climbing back from a double-digit deficit to the Prairie Stars last Saturday, the Miners did all they could to make a comeback; Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) scored a quick five points to open the fourth quarter and make it a 57-48 game. Keys and Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) would cut Illinois Springfield's lead to just seven after a three-point swing on consecutive trips down the floor.

But, the Prairie Stars offense could not be stopped, getting momentum after two made three-pointers from Malea Jackson. UIS would use that push to eventually take the 72-61 win.

For the season, Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) and Alex Kerr (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) have been the constants for the Miner's offense, averaging 15.6 and 15.5 points/game, respectively, while Kerr is bringing down a team best 11.6 rebounds. Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) and Marta Durk (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) have also been big factors for S&T, bringing in 10.6 and 10.1 points/game.

The Hawks (0-6, 0-6 GLVC) have had a rough start to the season, dropping their first seven games of the season and have already had two postponements. Just before the holiday break, the Hawks picked up a game against Division I Bradley University and suffered a 104-53 loss.

In their most recent GLVC game played, the Hawks fell short to the Greyhounds of UIndy after making a 14-point deficit disappear and even taking the lead for a short time in the third quarter. In the end, UIndy's Mickey Sasson would drain four free-throws in the final minutes of the game to hand Quincy the 75-67 loss.

Through the first part of the season, two underclassmen have led Quincy in scoring; Laney Lantz, a sophomore from Augusta, Ill. is 9th in the GLVC and leading the Hawks with 20.9 points/game with freshman Jazzpher Evans right behind her with 12.8 points and a team second best eight assists.

The Miners and Hawks have a lengthy history dating back to the 1980's. While the all-time series is pretty evenly split (S&T leads 21-17), the Miners have taken the last three matchups.

Last season when the two teams met in Rolla, S&T's defense shut down the Hawks offense in the third quarter, holding them to just nine points while the Miners got three made three-pointers between Tristen McFeders (Kansas City, Mo./Bishop Miege) and Maddie Raley (Haubstadt, Ind./Gibson Southern) while Mykala Baylor (South Bend, Ind./Clay) scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the ten minute span. This 25-9 third quarter run would be enough for the Miners to take the 84-77 win.