M. Basketball

UIS Men Fall to Columbia College

Prairie Stars on the short end of a 63-60 decision to Columbia College on Saturday at TRAC.

Jacob Motteler led UIS with 15 points on Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Prairie Star men’s basketball team had a couple of looks at a game-tying three-point field goal in the final seconds but couldn’t knock either down and fell to Columbia College, 63-60, on Saturday at TRAC.

The loss dropped the 19th-ranked Prairie Stars to 11-4 overall and 2-1 in the American Midwest Conference while the Cougars improved to 13-4 and 2-1.

Jacob Motteler led the Prairie Stars with 15 points while Jeremy Winters added 14 and Nick Livas 11. Columbia got a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds from Christian Lewis.

UIS controlled most of the first half jumping out to a 15-9 lead in the game’s opening 10 minutes. It increased the advantage to as much as nine at 27-18 with 7:36 to go before the Cougars climbed back into the contest with a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to tie the game at 28. Columbia out-scored the Prairie Stars 14-4 over the last 7:14 of the half to lead 32-31 at intermission.

The Cougars ruled the second half, never relinquishing the lead and building the advantage to 15 at 51-36 with 7:42 to go before UIS began to rally. The Prairie Stars cut the margin to 63-60 and having a chance to tie but three-point field goal attempts by Livas and Motteler in the game’s final 10 seconds missed and Columbia escaped.

Head coach Kevin Gamble’s squad will be in action again on Thursday when Hannibal-LaGrange comes to Springfield for a 7:30 p.m. AMC game.