| A 17-16 lead at halftime mushroomed into an 18 point victory for the Lewistown Indians (7-6) over the Illini West Chargers (1-11) in this quarterfinal Consolation contest. The Chargers won the battle in the paint (20-14) and bench points (8-5)…but committed nearly double the turnovers which allowed Lewistown to convert into 21 points. Lewistown surged after the half and after a 19-8 third quarter, enjoyed a 12 point heading into the final frame. Neither team shot very well in this matchup (36% for Lewistown and 35% for Illini West). Rebounds were a non-factor, as Lewistown won that battle 30-29. Lewistown had a trio of double digit scorers (John Ross Hess with 19 points, Kruze Chasteen with 12 points, and Drake Herrick with 10 points). Chasteen also had a game-high nine rebounds. Kennedy Cleer also pulled down seven rebounds. Herrick led the game with three steals. Illini West’s Chargers had three players that finished with eights points (Lincoln Gooding, Isaac Schreacke, and Max Richardson). Schreacke and Matt McDowell both had five rebounds. Schreacke, notably, was 4-6 from the floor. The Indians advance to the Consolation semifinals in Game 18 (tomorrow, 10:30am in WIU’s Brophy Hall) and will play the winner of the Illini Bluffs and Wethersfield game. Illini West has been eliminated from the tournament. Box Score Illini West Info Lewistown Info Chris Derry December 27, 2019 |
