Men's basketball suffers conference loss

By Mark Brockett - Sports Reporter

Despite ending the first half of the conference season with an undefeated record last week, the UIS men’s basketball team also suffered defeat in the beginning of the second half.
In what was a highly anticipated game between the Prairie Stars and the Bearcats of McKendree, the Stars blew a 17 point halftime lead and gave up 67 points in the second half and lost 100-83.
The two halves of basketball each had a team completely dominate every facet of the game. The Stars came out sizzling from the get-go shooting 60 percent from the field on 21 of 35 attempts, including an impressive 77.8 percent from the three point line. The turnover battle went to the Stars as well as their full court pressure defense forced 9 turnovers in the half. On the opposite side, the team controlled the ball well by only committing one turnover in the half.
The only bright spots from McKendree were there performances from their frontcourt. Senior Bryant Lyles and junior big man Mike Strobbe each helped solidify early dominance in the paint.
The second half saw that come to full fruition. UIS had no answer for either of these two players as they combined for 60 points overall in the game. Strobbe (33 points, 17 rebounds) finished the game only missing one field goal by going 11 of 12 from the field. Lyles (27 points) also went 13 of 17 from the field overall.
On the Prairie Stars front, their offense could do very little against the fiery defense of the Bearcats in the second half. The team only shot 35.3 percent from the field and could not establish any inside presence, especially to their leading scorer Curtis Collins who tallied 14 points, 2 points shy of his season average.
Senior Michael Griffin faced foul trouble all game long and it hindered the Stars defensively against the likes of Strobbe and Lyles.
For the game, Kelvin Johnson and Antonio Puckett lead the way for the Stars offensively with 17 points each. Griffin had 15 points and Cory Farmer added 7.
Earlier in the week, the Stars faced a scrappy Harris Stowe Hornets team that has played everyone in the conference close this season. It was a tough day for the Stars defensively as six players from the Hornets notched double digit scoring totals. However, the Stars dictated the pace of the game to their liking down the stretch and didn’t allow the Hornets a chance to catch them from the three point line as they shot a dismal 22.8 percent from behind the arc. Ultimately, the Stars were victorious 85-80 and finished the first half of the American Midwest Conference season a perfect 6-0.
Leading the way for the Stars was Johnson with a team high 18 points and 11 assists. Collins had 17 points and Rick McDonald added 12 points.
After the loss to McKendree, the Stars now sit at an overall record of 14-9 and 6-1 in the conference. The team will get a break from conference play as they will be competing in a few more non-conference contests this week. The next scheduled home game for the team will not be until Feb. 23rd which will be the last regular season home game against the Cougars of Columbia College.

UIS women split wins and losses this week

By Mike Fitzpatrick - Sports Reporter

Coming off a conference loss to McKendree last week, UIS women’s basketball took it to the road in another AMC match-up, this time against Columbia College.  In order to turn around their 2-4 record, the Stars would need to step up their play and it would need to start with the Cougars. 
In what has been the reoccurring theme all year for the Stars, they started the game slowly, yet shooting fairly well.  It wasn’t the fact that they shot 40 percent from the field, but more or less the fact that the Cougars jumped out ahead quick and continued to pour it on. 
With the score 44-28 at half, the Stars had two choices: Continue to play hard and bring the game back or at least try to, or fall to the hands of another opponent.  As easy as it would be to say that the Stars lacked heart and just gave up in the second half, that wasn’t the case.  They still came out hustling and giving it their best, but their shooting got the best of them.
Unlike the first half, the second half proved to be even worse in terms of field goal percentage as the team only hit 28.1 percent of their shots.  In the realm of basketball, this is a recipe for a loss.  The Stars lost 97-58 but once again, it was junior Dominique Moses who posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. She was joined by junior Jasmin Lassere’s 16 points. 
Having lost the past six in a row, the team traveled to Walnut Ridge, Ark., to take on Williams Baptist.  Knowing that a loss would drop them to 2-6 in the AMC standings, the Stars’ went out with their guns blazing with scoring going back and forth and both teams shooting percentages considerably high.  At the end of the first half the Eagles held onto the slim lead 22-21. 
After the half, it was quite clear that both teams were ready and wanted to leave the gym on top.  Unfortunately in the world of sports, we can only have one winner.  Both teams battled back and forth, with the pace of the game being quite fast and defensive.  Something had to give, whether be a failed opportunity, or just causing too many turnovers. 
This time it was the Eagles’ shooting which increased in the second half.  Every shot taken seemed to drop for them as they took care of business and handed the Stars their seventh consecutive loss and also making them 2-7 in AMC play.  Once again Moses led the team with 16 points, followed by sophomore Keyria Rodgers with 10. 

The love affair with the Super Bowl

By Mark Brockett- Sports Reporter

In following the general theme of love in this issue, I could think of nothing more romantic for not just sports fans, but everyone than the relationship that we all have with the Super Bowl. As much as some non-followers would have you believe otherwise, we all take part in Super Bowl Sunday in one way or another. It can be the diehards who follow intently on every single play, the apathetic group that enjoys the company of family and friends, or just the people who want to watch the commercials and eat lots of food.
This past Sunday was no different. In the simplest terms, it wasn’t one of the better Super Bowls in recent memory, but it certainly did not take away from the mystique of the event and everything that it has to offer. A Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks match-up certainly did not raise numerous eyebrows heading into the game and it didn’t leave much to the imagination after the game was over either. But, the game did leave us with some memories still that will have us remember it. The biggest play of the game was the reverse pass from Steelers wide receiver Antwan Randle El, a former quarterback at the University of Indiana, to fellow wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward who also happens to be a former quarterback. For those who follow football religiously, they would know that the Steelers are well known for these types of “gadget” plays that change the momentum of the game into their favor. It certainly was needed in this game with Seattle only trailing by 4 at the time.
Another big play was early in the second half when Steelers starting tailback Willie Parker, who was a third string player during the preseason, sprinted off into Super Bowl history by having the longest touchdown run of all time at 75 yards.
A play that will stick out in my mind was the very last offensive play by the Seattle Seahawks. Much was made about the trash talking from Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens and Steelers linebacker Joey Porter and it culminated with Stevens dropping a pass near the goal line on fourth down to end the Seahawks of a comeback and, sure enough, Porter was one of the Steelers who delivered a hit to Stevens on that play. Rarely do we see something like that happen where two players from opposing teams who mix words with each other during the week and each end up being involved in a big play.
For the apathetic group, the game may not have been all that exciting but they had other things to be involved in. There may be some with money riding on the game; those who want to make it more interesting by making bets such as who would win the coin flip. Also, they were able to see the halftime show with the Rolling Stones who continue to perform with their best efforts today. Mick Jagger still can swoon the hearts of many of his adoring female fans with his hip shaking and gyrations.
The commercials are always a popular water cooler topic on Mondays with some that are funny and others that are just plain terrible. This year followed a theme of cell phones for the most part and Budweiser stole the show so to speak with their down to earth brand of comedy.
One of my loves of the Super Bowl is most certainly the food and this year was no exception. There’s something special about watching a football game with chicken wings from Hooters surrounding you and your friends and family. Even those with the strictest diets can find themselves gorging themselves on this glorious day.
With these things in mind, it is no wonder why we love the Super Bowl and everything it has to offer us. A love for something that offers you so much and it only asks of you about 8 hours of one day in the year is hard to match. From a sports perspective, it is a relationship that is destined for greatness and eternal survival. While you can find some negatives with this love, we all know that a love like this is truly blind as we always come back each and every year. Take care and thanks for reading.

Prairie Star of the Week

By Mark Brockett- Sports Reporter

As a freshman in college, you often have more responsibilities than you anticipated. Little did UIS men’s basketball’s Kelvin Johnson know that his would translate over to basketball as well.
Formerly an All Conference player at Fenwick High School, Johnson has taken over the duties of starting point guard for the UIS Prairie Stars this season and has done so with supreme confidence. Johnson is second on the team in scoring by averaging 13.7 points per game. He also has averaged 5.1 assists a game, 2 steals per game, and leads the team in free throws made.
This past week saw Johnson get his first taste of the intense rivalry that the Stars have against American Midwest Conference rival McKendree. Once again, Johnson was unflappable and tallied a team high 17 points and notched 7 assists.
The proverbial wall that first year players are supposed to hit seems to have been avoided by Johnson. With his leadership on the court and his teammates contributing to his play, Johnson looks to have a promising career here at UIS.

Campus Rec Briefs

By Mark Brockett - Sports Reporter

Intramural 5x5 Basketball League
On the first day of competition, Sunday, January 29 Jesse’s Team beat K & J 81-32.  In games two and three, respectively, Big Ballas beat Flipside 63-53, and The Liberty Bells defeated Small Group 59-19.  The final game proved to be a close one with the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers defeating Tenacious D 46-43.
Play continued on Saturday, February 4 with each team playing their second league game.  Big Ballas defeated K & J by forfeit in the first game of the day.  The second match-up came down to the wire, with the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers defeating the Small Group 66-65.  Tenacious D then defeated The Liberty Bells 35-32, in yet another close game.  Finally, Jesse’s Team came up victorious against Flipside, 64-53.
The teams leading in the standings, each with a record of 2-0, are Jesse’s Team, Big Ballas, and Little Lebowski Urban Achievers.  After taking this weekend off due to the annual Ski Trip to Wisconsin, play resumes on Friday, February 17 in the UIS Gym with games starting at 4:30pm.
Bodywork Fitness Class is continuing registration with forms only available at the Campus Recreational Sports (CRS) Office.  Classes run Monday and Friday from 12:10-12:50pm in the UIS Gym through Monday, May 8.  (No class on Fridays, February 3 and April 14.)  Instructed by Amy Giles, the class includes a combination of cardio and weight training exercises that contribute to cardiovascular health, muscular strength and endurance, balance, and flexibility. Circuit training, floor exercises, and hand weights are critical components of the class.  Participants must be at least 18 years old or a UIS student and should come dressed in workout clothes and wearing gym shoes. UIS Students and Rec Center Members with a valid i-card pay $22.  UIS Community Non-Rec Center Members & Non-UIS pay $67 and sign a waiver form (only cash or check accepted).
Martial Arts Classes  Space is still available in the three martial classes being offered by CRS.  Currently underway are Yama-Guchi Karate, Goju-Ryu Karate, and Progressive Kenpo and Krav Maga.  Registration will remain open until the maximum number of participants for each class is met.  More information about these classes can be found at www.uis.edu/recsports/.

How Can I Learn About Campus Rec Sports Activities and Events?

Contact the Campus Recreational Sports Office located in the Fitness Center (SLB 118) at 206-6658; send an e-mail to RecSports@uis.edu; or check out our website at www.uis.edu/recsports/.

Men's basketball suffers conference loss

UIS women split wins and losses this week

Brock Solid

Prairie Star of the Week

Campus Rec Sports Briefs