Box Score The William Jewell College men's basketball team hosted University of Illinois-Springfield in Great Lakes Valley Conference action on Thursday night.  Both teams were looking for their first GLVC wins of the season.
 
The Prairie Stars were successful late from the free throw line and hung on for an 89-85 victory. 
 
Jewell falls to 3-10 overall and 0-5 in the GLVC while UIS improves to 6-8 and 1-4 in league play.
 
The Cards led 9-8 at the first media timeout before the Prairie Stars went on a 10-2 run to take a 18-11 lead with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half. 
 
Matt Lassen keyed a Cardinal run with two three-point baskets in consecutive possessions and Jewell found themselves up 29-27 at the third media timeout of the first half. 
 
UIS would claw back into things and led the Cards 41-38 at halftime.
 
Jewell began the second half on a 10-5 run to take a brief two-point lead only to see the Prairie Stars regain the lead minutes later. 
 
UIS built a 64-54 lead midway through the second half off of consecutive three-pointers which forced the Cardinals to use a timeout.
 
Out of the time-out Jewell went on a 5-0 run which in turn forced UIS to take a timeout.    The Cardinals continued their run and trailed 66-64 at the under 8 media timeout.
 
The action went back and forth and UIS built a 79-72 lead with 2:40 to play.  After two Patrick Whelan free throws Larry Fitzgerald converted a lay-up to cut the lead to three. 
 
The Prairie Stars answered with a 5-0 run which put them up 84-76 with 30 seconds to play.  Whelan did his best to keep the Cardinals in the game hitting three straight three pointers but UIS was able to answer each three by hitting their free throws to seal the win down the stretch.
 
Whelan led all scores with a career high 30 points.  Fitzgerald and Jorge Perez-Laham chipped in 16 while Emil Ostafiiciuc scored 10. 
 
The Prairie Stars were led by Paxton Harmon who scored 27 points including 6-for-8 from three-point land.
 
The Cardinals will welcome the Bearcats of McKendree University to the Mabee Center on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.