Prairie Star seniors make last time on home court a memorable one

March 4, 2009
By Marcus Johnson
Sports Editor

Photo by Christopher Izatt

The stage was set.

Two teams, one court. One team fighting for a 2nd seed in the AMC conference tourney; the other trying to prove that their record does not define how talented they are.

 These two teams were the men’s and women’s Prairie Stars basketball teams. Both had something in common, however-- seniors playing in their last regular season home game. 

Senior night can be a very emotional time for players setting their last foot on the floor of the TRAC as a Prairie Star. Playing UIS' heated rival only adds much more spice to the whole situation.

On Saturday Feb. 28, the Prairie Stars hosted the McKendree Bearcats for their last regular season game, which also happened to be senior night. Many of the players were very sentimental during the game.

Senior Tiffany Sproat felt that, “The game was extremely emotional.  I was anxious, nervous, and excited.  Everyone wants to win their senior night game. The fact that we played against McKendree made the game all that more rewarding.”

Not only were the players very emotional during the game, the coaches also felt the same way. This is a very tough time for them, as they are losing leaders on their team. When asked about his departing seniors, women’s head coach Roy Gilmore said, “I’m definitely going to miss them.

As individuals, you get to know them and you get to see them grow as people. That's really the fun part of being a coach - watching them learn and grow as players and as people.”

The women’s game was a very physical battle against the two teams. The Prairie Stars took the early lead during the 1st half and held that lead into the 6:30 mark in the 2nd half. The two teams then went back and forth. The Bearcats took the lead with 11 seconds to go. With seven seconds left in the game, the Prairie Stars took a timeout. Di'Andra Frye then found Alex Blair in the corner and she drilled a three point shot as the horn sounded, a great way for the seniors to end their season at home. Sproat felt that the win, “gives [the team] a lot of confidence going in to the tournament. “

The men’s game did not go as Prairie Star fans hoped. In front of a record home crowd of 2,013, the Prairie Stars could not pull out a win against the Bearcats. It was a very intense game, with both teams playing their hearts out on the court.

Even though both teams did not get victories, the seniors felt their experiences valuable; they have learned much more during their stints here at UIS. Jeremy Winters said he felt that the coaches have, "just taught me to be myself, and gave me confidence in who I am. They helped me become more of a man by decisions I have got to make and the output I have got on the team as a player.” 

Raphael Woodson also commented, saying that, “What I have learned from my coaches here at UIS was to have trust in your teammates, no matter who it is. And that you are as strong as the team you play for.”