Nyk Lewis went crashing down after landing on a teammate’s foot just seconds into Saturday’s contest in Greenville. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
(Mitchell Layton via Getty Images)
Even with Nyk Lewis available, the Rams may not have stood much of a chance.
No. 3 Illinois erupted in the second half to grab a blowout 76-55 win over No. 11 VCU in their second-round NCAA tournament matchup on Saturday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in South Carolina. That sent the Illini into the Sweet 16 for the second time in the past three seasons.
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Lewis jumped up for a rebound after a missed shot from Kylan Boswell on Illinois’ first offensive possession of the game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. But as Lewis came back down to the court, his right foot landed directly on top of teammate Brandon Jennings. Lewis’ right ankle twisted hard, and he crashed down to the court immediately in pain.
Lewis was eventually helped off the court and over to the bench, but he didn’t put any weight on his ankle as he did so.
Lewis eventually was helped back to the locker room to get X-rays. He was shown on CBS limping back to the tunnel, struggling to walk.
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The team eventually ruled him out with a sprained ankle just before halftime. He returned to the end of the bench, and was spotted icing his ankle.
Lewis averaged 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season as a freshman with the Rams. He was named the Atlantic-10’s Rookie of the Year and was a member of the league’s All-Freshman team, too.
Lewis had 16 points and seven rebounds while helping the Rams past No. 6 North Carolina in the opening round of the tournament. The Rams rallied all the way back from a 19-point hole to pick up what was their first NCAA tournament win since 2016. That marked the largest first-round comeback in NCAA tournament history.
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Illinois runs away with win
Illinois led nearly the entire way after Lewis went down, and ended up taking a seven-point lead into the break at halftime. That ballooned up to nearly 20 points after the Illini opened the second half on a 15-4 tear. The Rams couldn’t get much going offensively at all, and missed nine of their first 11 field goals, too.
While Terrence Hill went on a solo 5-0 burst, thanks to a layup and a quick 3-pointer after a steal to cut the game back to just 13 points briefly, that was as close as they got. Illinois forced three quick turnovers and took full control of the game again before rolling to the blowout win.
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Hill led VCU with 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Barry Evans and Tyrell Ward each finished with 11 points, and were the only other two Rams players to hit double figures.
Andrej Stokajovic led Illinois with 21 points off the bench. Tomislav Ivisic added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Keaton Wagler finished with 14 points, too. Illinois rolled past Penn in a 35-point win in the first round to reach Saturday night’s matchup. With their win, the Illini will now take on No. 2 Houston in the Sweet 16 next weekend in Houston.
While the road game will make things much more difficult, and the Cougars are undoubtedly looking like a legitimate title contender, Illinois is onto the next round with a pair of commanding wins under its belt.