Illinois Springfield women's basketball (8-11, 5-6 GLVC) defeated Lincoln (4-15, 2-10 GLVC), 67-48, with a commanding performance that included 20 steals and 30 points off turnovers. The win was highlighted by a record night from Kayla Rice, who became the program's all-time leader in both career steals and three-pointers.
Monday games are unusual in the GLVC, but the Prairie Stars opened the home conference season on Monday, Dec. 1 against William Jewell. It did not have the feeling of a Saturday twinbill or Thursday night contests. Yet, it turned out to be something special.
In the women's game, junior Kayla Rice had eight first-half steals, sparking UIS to 43-17 edge. She picked up two more steals in the second half to go with a game-high 22 points, leading the Stars to a 75-49 win and picking up the first conference win of the season.
The UIS softball team opens the 2026 season on the road Friday with a non-conference doubleheader against Roosevelt in The Dome at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., with online live statistics available.
Friday's matchup begins a stretch of non-conference play for the Prairie Stars ahead of several upcoming tournament weekends, including multiple dates at the Springfield Clinic Dome at Scheels Sports Park later this month.
Illinois Springfield
Illinois Springfield senior Madelyn Miller-Ross was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Track Athlete of the Week, as announced Wednesday by the league office.
Miller-Ross earned the honor following a standout performance at the PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic on Jan. 23, where she captured first place overall in the 3,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 9:41.29. She won the event by more than 22 seconds and broke her own program record by eight.
The Illinois Springfield softball team was picked fifth in the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason coaches' poll, as announced Wednesday by the league office.
UIS totaled 143 points in the poll, placing fifth overall in a competitive GLVC field. The Prairie Stars were among a tightly grouped middle tier of teams following preseason favorite Indianapolis, which led the poll with 189 points and 11 first-place votes.
As part of UIS Athletics' 15 Years of NCAA Division II Membership celebration, the department is highlighting 15 standout teams and 15 standout student-athletes who have shaped the Prairie Stars' Division II era. Each week, UIS features one team and one student-athlete, honoring the accomplishments, championship moments, and legacy-building performances that have defined Prairie Stars Athletics.
The Illinois Springfield baseball team was picked second in the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason coaches' poll, as announced Wednesday by the league office.
UIS received four first-place votes and totaled 170 points in the poll, trailing only defending preseason favorite Indianapolis. The Prairie Stars were one of five teams to receive first-place consideration, reflecting the depth of the league entering the 2026 season.
When UIS decided to add men's basketball to its athletics portfolio for the 2002-03 season as the sixth sport, joining men's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's tennis and women's basketball, the university tabbed a 37-year-old local hero as the first coach. Kevin Gamble, who led Lanphier High to the 1983 Class AA state championship, had a decorated college career at Iowa, and spent 10 seasons in the NBA, including six with the Boston Celtics, was selected for the task.
The UIS men's soccer program has announced the addition of TJ Knight as an assistant coach, bringing Division I playing experience and a development-focused perspective to the Prairie Stars staff.
The UIS men's basketball team, the current top team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, returns home this week for a pair of conference matchups at TRAC, highlighted by Springfield Day on Thursday and Family Day presented by the Bank of Springfield on Saturday.
Thursday's action features a 7:30 p.m. men's tip-off against Lincoln, following the women's game, with gates opening at 4:30 p.m. The Prairie Stars then host Missouri–St. Louis on Saturday with a 3:00 p.m. tip-off as part of a full Family Day celebration.