Redbirds Unable to Overcome Rams in Cayman Islands Finale

GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman – Despite holding Rhode Island to 57 points, the Illinois State Redbirds fell to the Rams 57-44 in each team's final game of the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.

Kendall Lewis scored a team-high 14 points while he and All-Tournament Team member Seneca Knight grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Redbirds. Colton Sandage and Malachi Poindexter each scored eight for ISU, while Knight added seven. Darius Burford dished out a game-high three assists, while Lewis tied a career-high with four steals and McChesney tied a career-high with four blocked shots.

The Redbirds led for over 14 minutes in the first half, including by as many as six with 7:03 to play in the opening period before the Rams started to chip away at the deficit, using an 8-0 run to end the half, taking a 24-22 lead into the locker room at halftime.

ISU knotted the score at 24 on a pair of Lewis free throws early in the second half; however, Rhode Island ran off a 13-3 run to push ahead by 10, and the Redbirds were playing catch-up for the remainder of the game. Illinois State pulled back within three after a Knight three-pointer with 11:44 to play in the game but could not get any closer in the loss.

The Redbirds return to action in eight days when the team travels to Murray, Kentucky, to take on the Murray State Racers in a 7 p.m. tip-off on Thursday, December 1.

TEAM NOTES

• Illinois State used a starting lineup of 3 Seneca Knight, 10 Darius Burford, 13 Liam McChesney, 15 Colton Sandage, and 22 Kendall Lewis
  • This is the first time that this lineup has been used to start a game.
• Today's game is the first time these two teams have met on the basketball court
  • The game is just the second for ISU against a school from Rhode Island
• Illinois State won the opening tip.
• The first Illinois State points of the game came with 17:41 to play in the first half on a Kendall Lewis free throw
• Illinois State's first sub was Malachi Poindexter with 16:44 to play in the first half.
• Rhode Island led 24-22 at halftime

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Liam McChesney
  • His four blocked shots are a season-high and tie a career-high
• Kendall Lewis
  • Reached double-figure scoring for the fourth time this season.
  • Tied his career-high with four steals

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