ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's men's basketball team got off to a fast start Thursday night, but a long scoreless stretch during the first half and another period of time without a field goal to start the second half proved to be its undoing in a 76-58 loss to Illinois Springfield at Gibson Arena.
The Miners lost for the fifth straight time and seventh time in their last eight games as they fell to 10-16 overall and 6-13 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
S&T – and
Julien Smith (Fort Worth, TX/Northwest) – came out flying on Thursday, hitting its first four shots from the floor and nine of its first 10 as it raced out to a 23-12 lead by the 12:06 mark of the first half. Smith was especially hot during that stretch as he scored 12 of his 18 first half points during that stretch. But just as hot as the Miners started the game, they went cold just as quickly.
Beginning with a conventional three-point play by Chase Robinson, the Prairie Stars (12-15, 7-12 GLVC) rattled off 16 straight points over the next 7:07, taking the lead at 24-23 on a three-point basket by Evan Altman with 9:55 to play in the opening half. Altman's three-pointer was the third in succession for UIS after Robinson's three-point play that put it in front for good.
Smith ended the Miners' nearly eight-minute scoring drought with a three-point play, then a basket by
Dylan Singleton (Lincoln, IL/Lincoln) with 1:22 left in the half drew S&T to within two. The Miners had a chance to get the lead back before halftime, but missed a shot and UIS got a three-pointer from Jordan Rice to take a five-point lead to the break.
S&T came out ice cold again to open the second half, as it didn't get a field goal until Smith scored on a floater in the lane at the 14:56 mark, by which time the Miners found themselves down by 13. UIS built its lead to as much as 22 in the second half as it shot 55.2 percent over the final 20 minutes and 54.4 percent for the game to S&T's 38.9 percent mark.
Smith led all scorers in the game with 24 points and was the only Miner in double figures. Meanwhile, the Prairie Stars had four reach double figures with Robinson leading the way with 19.
Missouri S&T will close out its home schedule Saturday when it hosts Lewis at 3 p.m. at Gibson Arena, then will learn who its first round opponent will be on Monday in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament.
