Box Score The Maryville men’s basketball team locked down Illinois-Springfield’s shooters, but their outstanding defensive efforts were not quite enough at the Saints dropped a 57-51 overtime decision in Great Lakes Valley Conference action Thursday night. The Saints held the Prairie Stars to just 16 field goals and a 32 percent shooting mark from the field.
Trailing 8-7, Asa Toney’s 3-pointer gave the Saints a lead they would hold the rest of the first half at the 13:20 mark. The sophomore guard pushed the Maryville edge to 12-8 with a hoop in the lane. When Tyler Waite scored on a layup, the Saints edge stood at 14-8 midway through the first 20 minutes. UIS cut the gap to two points, but back-to-back buckets by Ryan Shotkoski and Armon Provo put the Saints on top 18-12. Toney scored a hoop, and on the next trip, he had one free throw for a 21-14 lead, Maryville’s largest gap of the half. The Prairie Stars eased back into the game and scored the last five points as Maryville took a 21-20 lead at intermission.
Midway through the second half, neither team was able to build a lead of more than three points, setting the stage for overtime. The Saints were up 26-23 four minutes after the break, but the game was tied three more times. UIS scored seven straight points to edge out to a 37-30 lead with 6:27 left in the second half before the Saints made a charge. Shotkoski hit a 3-pointer, and Gerald Shaw converted from deep as Maryville quickly closed to one. After a defensive stop, Shotkoski drove the lane for a bucket and a 38-37 advantage with 4:32 to play in the second half. Toney added a layup for a 40-37 lead, but UIS answered with four straight to take a one-point lead. Toney drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key as MU went back on top 43-41 with 1:36 remaining in regulation. UIS’ Michael Fakuade hit two free throws to force a 43-43 tie. The Saints had one final shot to win the game when Toney drove the lane and kicked the ball out to Mike Ford on the right wing. His 3-pointer rattled around the rim but would not fall as the Saints played their first overtime game of the season.
In the extra session, UIS took the lead on a free throw, but the Saints sank four straight from the line. Provo sank two, and Shaw hit a pair to stake the Saints to a 47-44 lead with 3:28 left in OT. Kevin Pettiford tied the game with a 3-pointer, but Toney snuck down the right side of the lane for a layup and a 49-47 Maryville lead with 2:34 remaining. However, the Prairie Stars scored the next eight points of the game. Shaw hit a layup in traffic, but UIS sealed the win with two free throws with nine seconds left.
Toney led the Saints with 18 points, and Shaw added 12. Jermaine Love-Roberts paced UIS with 23 points as the Prairie Stars moved their winning streak to four and are 10-9 overall, 7-3 in the GLVC and tote a three-game winning streak.
The Saints (9-8, 3-7 GLVC) return home to host Quincy Saturday, Jan. 28, in a 3:15 p.m. start in Moloney Arena.
