There was nothing easy about the Cyclones' 83-73 victory over Prairie State College, but the final few minutes of the game gave them the winning edge.

 

The Pioneers came out charging against the Cyclones, who are undefeated in conference. Many of Moraine Valley's shots weren't landing in the first half while they were for Prairie State. By halftime, the Cyclones were down 41-32. 

 

For a few moments in the second half, the Cyclones were down by as much as 10 points. But they pressed the Pioneers and tired them out while collecting more baskets. Grantas Sakenis tied the game 65-65 with seven minutes left before Reggie Strong gave the Cyclones their first lead of the second half after sinking two free throws. From there, Moraine Valley slowly extended their lead while holding back the Pioneers' offense. For at least two minutes near the final buzzer, the Cyclones went on a scoring run and didn't allow any Pioneer baskets, which ultimately added up to their 10-point win.

 

Sakenis led the scoring with 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Strong tallied 18 points and had five assists and three steals. Josh Lawson and TJ Lee each contributed 15 points. Ali Oralkan led under the basket with 13 rebounds.