University of Illinois Springfield junior guard Vince Walker had a big game Saturday on the court where his father, UIS men’s coach Bill Walker, played college basketball and where people still call his dad “Billy”.
Vince hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 38 seconds left, then sank two key free throws in the Prairie Stars’ 82-78 victory over Missouri S&T in Rolla, Missouri.
He finished with six 3s and a season-high 20 points in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener.
It was the sixth straight win for the 6-2 Stars.
“We got a little tentative late and we were in desperate need for someone to step up, and Vince certainly did,” Bill Walker said.
When they’re in Rolla, Vince gets to hear all about his dad’s playing days.
“Once in a while, he’ll say ’They’re way more talented than when you played,” Bill Walker said. “He’ll also give me a hard time about how short our shorts were back then.”
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 3, 2017.
Read the entire article online.
