Saturday, February 8, the UIS Prairie Stars Women’s Basketball team took to the court against the Maryville Saints, determined to push their limits. Despite their aggressive play, the Prairie Stars fell 68-81 to the Saints in a hard-fought game.

“I think we are figuring out how to compete,” said UIS Coach Olivia Lett. Reflecting on the team’s recent games, she acknowledged the improvement from earlier losses. “There were losses for the first time around where I feel like we didn’t fight quite the same, and we weren’t quite in the game,” she noted. However, Coach Lett emphasized the importance of these challenges, describing them as valuable learning opportunities.

“We will have a chance to win most of these games, and so we have made those improvements that speak volumes to what the girls put in this year,” Lett added, underlining the team’s progress despite the defeat.

Guard Allysia McDaniel echoed the sentiment, pointing to the team’s steady development. “So far we have been improving game by game,” McDaniel said. “I feel like overall, we picked up so much by playing very aggressively and playing more team basketball.”

Looking ahead, Coach Lett was optimistic about the Prairie Stars’ future prospects. “Home games are one of those things that you’ve got a little bit more in your back pocket,” she said, noting the advantage of playing in front of a supportive crowd at the UIS TRAC Center.

McDaniel shared the optimism, especially about their upcoming match against the University of Indianapolis. “We already played against them once and beat them at their house,” she stated, confidently looking forward to another victory. “Now we are looking forward to getting another win and still play aggressively.”

Despite the two recent losses, Coach Lett is focused on finishing the season strong. “We have five games left in the season, and we are trying to finish on a strong foot and continue to improve for next season,” she said.

McDaniel concluded with a rallying cry for her team as they prepare for their next match. “They play hard against us, so we as a team got to play even harder against them.”

The UIS Prairie Stars will face the University of Illinois Thursday, February 13th, at the UIS TRAC Center. UIS students are encouraged to come out and support the women’s basketball team as they look to bounce back and finish the season on a high note.