FAYETTE, Iowa —
Dillon Mong's eight-point burst early in the second half helped Parkside (1-1) defeat the University of Illinois Springfield (2-1) 87-79 on Saturday at Dorman Memorial Gym. The win was the first for
Kyle Blackbourn as Parkside head coach. Parkside held a 40-22 rebounding advantage, including 15 offensive rebounds to the Prairie Stars' three, and finished with a 17-4 edge in second-chance points. Parkside scored 53 points after halftime and went 23-for-29 at the free-throw line.
Mong scored a collegiate-high 24 points and made a collegiate-high five 3-pointers while adding five rebounds and three assists.
Devin Kerr finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Luka Mateski posted 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Brian Hawthorne added 11 points, four assists and two steals.
Parkside led 34-30 at halftime after using an 11-0 run from 14:47 to 12:24 to move from a 9-5 deficit to a 16-9 lead. Earlier, Mateski tied the game with a layup and then assisted on Mong's fastbreak 3-pointer at 17:03 that put Parkside ahead 5-4. After UIS moved in front 9-5, Hawthorne answered with a 3-pointer, a free throw, and a jumper before free throws from Mong,
Micah Deaver and William Booker completed the run. Parkside later stretched the score to 24-13 on Mong's 3-pointer at 8:19 and to 30-18 when Kerr made two free throws after a
Logan Zahour steal. The Prairie Stars narrowed the margin late, but Parkside finished the half ahead, led by a 21-16 rebounding edge and going 11-for-16 at the free-throw line.
Parkside created separation early in the second half when Mong scored eight straight points, hitting 3-pointers at 18:43 and 17:42 around a layup to push the advantage from 36-32 to 44-32. The Rangers kept adding through second-chance opportunities, with Kerr,
Tevin Schultz and Deaver converting after offensive rebounds as Parkside finished the half with a 19-6 rebounding edge, including 10 offensive boards.
Mong added another 3-pointer at 15:34 and later scored inside, while William Booker and Deaver also connected from deep as Parkside shot 18-for-32 from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range in the half. UIS closed to 80-72 on a 3-pointer with 1:36 left, but Parkside made seven of eight free throws over the final 1:18 and to finish with an 87-79 win.
Up next, the Parkside basketball team travels to St. Louis, Missouri, to face Maryville University on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, at 7 p.m.
For links to coverage, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.
