Box Score
Springfield, Ill. – Kentucky State University men's basketball picked up its first win of the season with an 112-89 victory over the University of Illinois-Springfield Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Ill.

KSU (1-1) was led by senior guard Malcolm Smith who scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed five boards in the contest, netting eight of 10 attempts from behind the arc while junior guards Dorian Jordan and Reggie Breeden scored a combined 46 points for the visitors.

"We mixed up the lineup to get some more scoring power in the lineup," said head coach Jamaal Jackson. "The guys shot well in practice last night and before the game. We spread the ball around, and the guys shot with confidence."

The first half was tightly contested, as KSU took an early 16-14 lead over the Prairie Stars into the game's first media timeout with 16:52 remaining in the half. UIS went on a 7-2 run following the break to take a 21-18 lead. Smith ended the UIS run, nailing a three-pointer to tie the game up at 21. Moments later, Smith nailed another jumper to give the Thorobreds the 23-21 advantage. KSU heated up in the later parts of the frame, leaping out on a 27-18 run to extend the lead to 50-39 into the final media timeout of the half. The remainder of the stanza was neck-and-neck with the Thorobreds but still holding a 56-46 lead at halftime.

KSU would not trail in the second half, outscoring the Prairie Stars 56-43 in the final 20:00 minutes to pick up the first win of the season.

"Everybody played together," added Jackson. "We are working on getting to the point where five play as one, and when we get there we will be very tough. We've still got a lot of work to do on both ends of the floor."

The Thorobreds will be on the road again Tuesday as they will visit Kentucky Wesleyan College for non-conference action at 8:00 p.m. ET.