SAINT THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – The Illinois State offense that was hitting nearly half of its shots through the first 28 minutes of the game went cold over the final 12 as the Redbirds fell to George Washington by a 72-64 final score in the fourth-place game of the 2024 Paradise Jam.
Chase Walker scored a career-high 18 points in just 20 minutes of action because of foul trouble, as he made 4-of-8 shots from the field and all 10 of his free throw tries. He also added four rebounds and a pair of steals. Johnny Kinziger scored 16 points, making half of his dozen shots and six long-range tries, as Dalton Banks also finished in double-figures with 13 points while adding six rebounds. Ty Pence pulled down a team- and career-high eight rebounds, while scoring six points and adding a steal.
ISU returns to action on Wednesday, December 4 when the team travels to Nashville, Tennessee, to take on the Belmont Bruins in a 6 p.m. (CT) tip-off inside the Curb Event Center.
In a defensive first half, the lead changed hands six times, the last of the half as the Redbirds ran off seven consecutive points to turn a one-point deficit into a six-point lead, and ISU maintained a lead at the break, leading 29-27 at intermission.
The Redbirds opened the second-half strong, out-scoring George Washington 16-5 through the first 12 minutes of the second half before the ISU offense went cold. The Birds kept the lead until the Revolutionaries ran off a 6-0 run ending with 2:58 to play to take a four-point lead. GW iced the game by making four free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the eight-point tournament-finale score of 72-64.
For the game the Redbirds made 43.8 percent of their shots (21-of-48), and 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the charity stripe; however, the team made just 4-of-18 three-point field goals (22.2%). George Washington made 38.0 percent of its shots in the game (19-of-50) and tied a season-high with 10 three-point makes (three coming in the three minutes of the game), as the victors also made 24-of-30 free throws in the game.
Gerald Drumgoole and Trey Autry each scored 16 points to lead the Revolutionaries, with Darren Buchanan scoring 15 with 10 rebounds – the first double-double allowed by the Redbirds this season.
TEAM NOTES
- Illinois State used a starting lineup of 3 Dalton Banks, 4 Landon Wolf, 11 Johnny Kinziger, 22 Ty Pence, and 35 Chase Walker
- It was the sixth consecutive game the Redbirds have used this lineup.
- The Redbirds are 4-2 when using this lineup.
- The Revolutionaries won the opening tip
- The first points of the game came from Chase Walker on a pair of free throws with 19:12 to play in the first half.
- The first subs off the bench for Illinois State were Caden Boser and Malachi Poindexter with 14:37 to play in the first half.
- Illinois State led 29-27 at halftime
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dalton Banks
- Scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season, and 30th time in his career
- Tied for the team lead in assists for the sixth time this season
- Johnny Kinziger
- Scored 16 points for his sixth double-digit scoring game this season, and 19th of his ISU career.
- Pulled down five rebounds – a new season-high – while also tying for the team lead in assists.
- Ty Pence
- Pulled down a career-high eight rebounds for the Redbirds
- Made all four of his free throw attempts, and is now 22-of-24 from the charity stripe, tied for the team lead for the season.
- Chase Walker
- Reached a career-high scoring total for the second consecutive game, scoring 18 points
- Made 10-of-10 free throws, tied for the 21st-best single-game free throw percentage in school history, and tied for the fifth-best by a sophomore in the history of the program.
- Set a new career-high with two steals
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