SPRINGFIELD, IL & LEBANON, IL  --  Fifteen games into the season and Missouri S&T holds a 14-1 record, ranking 9th in the country. They will look to defend their ranking with a pair of road games this week... with the Prairie Stars on Thursday and the Bearcats on Saturday.

About the Prairie Stars

Illinois Springfield currently sits 10th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) standings as they head into this week's game. The Prairie Stars hold a 9-8 overall record and a 4-5 mark in conference play. Last week, they delivered strong performances, securing two road wins against GLVC opponents—a narrow 68-67 victory over Southwest Baptist and an 81-73 win against Rockhurst.

UIS boasts impressive shooting stats, ranking second in the conference and 28th nationally in field goal percentage at 48.9%. Their success is bolstered by their exceptional accuracy from beyond the arc, leading the GLVC with a 39.7% three-point shooting rate, which also ranks seventh in NCAA Division II.

The team's leading scorer is senior guard Max Kunnert from Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He averages 16.4 points per game, placing him sixth in the GLVC. Meanwhile, Evan Altman has also been a key contributor, ranking fourth in the conference in three-point percentage at 44.2%.

About the Bearcats

McKendree is on track for the GLVC tournament, currently sitting sixth in the conference standings with an 8-8 overall record and a 5-4 mark in conference play. Last week, the Bearcats split a pair of road games, falling to Drury 84-70 on Thursday before bouncing back with a dominant 63-46 victory over Southwest Baptist.

Like the Prairie Stars, the Bearcats pose a significant threat from beyond the arc, ranking third in the GLVC in three-point percentage at 37.6%. However, McKendree has struggled on the boards this season. They are one of five conference teams with a negative rebounding margin and currently rank third-worst in the GLVC with a -3.9 margin.

The Bearcats' leading scorer, Kevin Stein, averages 14.5 points per game. Stein is also a key playmaker, ranking fifth in the conference for both assists per game (4.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2). While McKendree lacks a player in the GLVC's top 15 for scoring, they make up for it with sharpshooter Destin Whitaker, who leads the conference in three-point accuracy at an impressive 52.8%.

About the Miners
The Miners have climbed to 9th in the nation in the latest poll from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This marks the second-highest ranking in program history, trailing only the 1995-96 team, which peaked at #8. Missouri S&T remains undefeated in GLVC play with an impressive 8-0 conference record and is riding a seven-game win streak.

Missouri S&T continues to dominate the GLVC statistical leaderboards, ranking in the top three in 12 key categories, including first in scoring margin, field goal percentage, and rebounding margin.

Bevo Francis Award candidate Andrew Young (Ballwin, MO/Marquette) has been a cornerstone of the Miners' success, delivering standout performances. He recorded double-doubles in his last two games and leads the conference in shooting percentage at 60.1%. Guards Alex Benassi (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit) and Lovell Williams (Rogers, MN/Maple Grove) have also excelled, ranking among the GLVC's top five in assist-to-turnover ratio. Benassi's remarkable 4.23 ratio places him fourth nationally in Division II.

What's Next
S&T will be back in Rolla next week to host Lewis on January 30th and Indianapolis on February 1st.

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