McLean County Times

The Illinois State men's basketball team secured a 72-65 victory over Lewis in an exhibition match held in Normal, Illinois. Newcomer Landon Wolf led the Redbirds with 18 points, while teammates Johnny Kinziger, Dalton Banks, and Malachi Poindexter also contributed double-digit scores.

The Redbirds shot 52.9% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc despite committing 23 turnovers. Wolf was efficient with his shooting, making seven of ten attempts from the field and four of six from three-point range. Kinziger added 13 points on five-of-twelve shooting, including three triples. Banks recorded a game-high seven rebounds and six assists alongside his 11 points. Poindexter chipped in with ten points.

Ty Pence contributed seven points along with four rebounds and two assists, while Brandon Lieb scored six points for the Redbirds.

Illinois State's defense started strong by scoring the first eight points of the game and keeping Lewis scoreless until midway through the first half. The Redbirds extended their lead to as much as 13 points before Lewis fought back to take a brief lead late in the first half. However, ISU closed out the half on a strong run to secure an eight-point halftime advantage.

In the second half, Lewis initially outscored ISU but was unable to maintain their momentum as ISU went on a decisive run that expanded their lead to as many as 15 points before ultimately securing a seven-point win.

Overall, ISU made 27 of their 51 shots (52.9%) and converted eleven of thirty-two attempts from long distance (34.4%). They outrebounded Lewis by two boards (35-33) and accumulated fourteen assists along with seven steals.

Lewis was led by Jaylin Gibson who scored fifteen points; Rob Stroud added thirteen while Devon Vanderheydt contributed twelve.

The Redbirds will commence their regular season on November 4 against UT Martin Skyhawks at CEFCU Arena at 7 p.m.