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.