ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's men's basketball team overcame a 10-point second half deficit to force overtime but came up short in the extra session in its 78-75 loss to Illinois Springfield on Saturday afternoon at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers drop to 6-7 overall and in the GLVC while the Prairie Stars improve to 7-7 overall and in the conference.

Lewis led for the entire first half and by as many as nine at 23-14 on a three-pointer from Marquise Jackson (Macon, Ga./Windsor Academy) from the top of the key with 10:52 remaining in the half. UIS battled back to within three after Keymonta Johnson made 1-of-2 at the foul line with 4:38 remaining in the stanza.

The Flyers extended their lead to 32-25 after back-to-back baskets from Artese Stapleton (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood) and Bruno Williams (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) but the Prairie Stars outscored Lewis 10-4 over the final 3:22 to cut the Flyer lead to 36-35 at the half.

UIS opened the second half on a 13-4 run to build a six-point lead less than 3:30 into the frame. The lead grew to 57-47 with less than 12 minutes to play after a three-pointer from Matt Wendling.

Lewis scored 10 of the next 15 points to cut the Prairie Star lead to 62-57 with 5:08 to go after a three-pointer from Vlado Zrnic (Greendale, Wis./Greendale). UIS pushed the lead back to eight as Wendling answered on the other end with a three with 4:43 to play.

The Flyers held the Stars scoreless for the rest of regulation and outscored them 8-0 the rest of the half. Zrnic scored six of those points including a tip in on a Stapleton miss to tie the game at 65 with less than 0:10 to play.

UIS had a chance to win the in the final seconds but Lewis' defense didn't allow them to get off a shot to force the extra frame.

The Flyers scored the first basket of overtime as Zrnic made a jumper in the paint but the Prairie Stars ran off eight in a row to take a 73-67 lead capped by Jack Weber's layup on the break.

Lewis cut the lead to two after two free throws from Zrnic and a layup from Williams with 69 seconds remaining. The Flyers had a chance to get a stop after Chase Robinson missed a layup but couldn't get the rebound as Robinson found Johnson for a layup to extend the lead to 75-71 with 0:35 left.

Lewis got to within two in the closing seconds but were forced to foul and UIS went hit three of four at the foul line in the final 17 seconds to extend the lead.

The Flyers had one more chance with less than a second to go but a half court pass was intercepted before they could get off a shot at a game tying three.

Stapleton led four Lewis players in double figures with 19 points. Zrnic scored all 15 of his career-high points in the second half and overtime. Williams and Dre Bell (Detroit, Mich./River Rouge) finished with 12 points apiece. The Flyers shot just 38 percent (27-for-71) from the floor, were 6-of-17 from three and shot 62.5 percent at the foul line. They outrebounded the Stars 43-33 and forced 15 turnovers.

Johnson led all scorers with 27 points and was joined in double figures by Weber with 16 while Robinson and Trey Marble added 12 points apiece. UIS shot 54.7 percent (29-for-53) from the field, was 10-of-19 from three and shot 67 percent at the foul line.

Lewis is back in action on Thursday (Feb. 4) as it travels to Quincy, Ill., to take on Quincy at 7:30 p.m.