No. 7 Trailblazers keep winning streak alive with Region 24 road win at Shawnee C.C.

ULLIN, Ill. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers moved up one spot in this week’s NJCAA Division I National rankings, checking in this week at No. 7.

Vincennes was idle throughout the week but returned to the floor Saturday afternoon for a tough Region 24 road contest against Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill.

VU was able to ride a couple of good scoring runs to pull away late and close out their 16th straight victory by downing the Saints 73-51.

The Trailblazers got the shots to fall early at Shawnee, using an early 10-0 run to take a quick 10-2 lead.

Vincennes would grow their lead to 15 midway through the first half, with VU holding a 26-11 advantage over the Saints, but Shawnee would answer back before halftime.

Shawnee continued to battle late in the first half and were able to close out the first half by outscoring Vincennes 13-5 to cut the Trailblazer lead to 33-27 at the break.

VU looked to regain the momentum early in the second half and were able to use a 12-3 run to get the lead back to 14.

Shawnee again looked to answer back and cut the deficit to 58-46 before Vincennes was able to help put the game away down the stretch by scoring 15 straight points.

The Saints would get a couple of late baskets but ran out of time on another comeback attempt as Vincennes closed out the 73-51 victory over the Saints.

“We played in spots,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “There were spots that were pretty good. Defensively we were fairly good all day. We had some breakdowns mentally. We had a pretty good idea of how to take away what we needed to take away. I didn’t think we did a great job on Bell early. Made him work a little harder in the second half. But other than that, having a mental lapse occasionally, we were pretty good defensively all day.”

“Offensively we were just spotty,” Franklin added. “There were times where Bryan would score down low or we would hit a couple threes. We would make a play defensively and get a transition. We extended it at one point and got it up to 15 and it looked like we were going but we just don’t have enough focus or intensity to stay the course at that time. If we are going to be a Championship basketball team, that can’t happen.”

“We’ve also got a couple of guys that are scuffling right now and opportunities were there today,” Franklin said. “There were plays there to be made and right now we’re struggling to make plays. But they would hit a couple of shots and make a couple of plays, then we would stop functioning and get soft with the ball. We knew they were going to come out and do traps and zones and in the moment we just get a little soft. It’s just concentration. We know what the answers are. It’s just about concentrating and doing it.”

“Then we got a couple of good runs where we were consistently getting enough stops,” Franklin added. “Any time we would get any consistent run offensively, we would extend. That kind of continued all game. They played hard, they tried and had a couple of guys, Bell especially, who tried to play big today. But that’s what it was. I don’t know if it was because of having a week off, you’re missing an edge, but we had that a little bit. We had that second half against Kaskaskia where I didn’t think we were very sharp. Or in the first half against Lincoln Trail. That’s no disrespect to those teams, they were trying and doing and give them credit. But I didn’t think we were very sharp for way too long of an extended period and I thought we had some of those lapses today.”

Vincennes was led offensively Saturday afternoon by freshman Travelle Bryson (Anderson, S.C.) who came away with his first collegiate double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the game.

Sophomore Michael Cooper (Minneapolis, Minn.) got his shot to fall early, scoring 10 first half points on his way to 15 points in the game off the bench, while also grabbing seven rebounds.

Sophomore Bryan Akanmu (Paris, France) was the third VU scorer in double figures Saturday afternoon, coming away with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Sophomore and 2024 NJCAA All-American Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) moved the ball well all game from the point guard position, just missing out on another double-double with nine points and 10 assists in the game.

The Trailblazers will look to continue to add to their impressive winning streak next week as Vincennes hits the road again for another tough Region 24 road Saturday test against Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill. at 4 p.m. eastern.

VU defeated the Lakers 102- 78 earlier this season behind 24 points by Travelle Bryson and 22 points and 10 rebounds by Michael Cooper.

A win next Saturday would give the Trailblazers the 2024-25 Region 24 Regular Season title and clinch the No. 1 seed in the Region 24 tournament in Ina, Ill. for Vincennes.

“We’ve got to decide what it is that we are trying to do,” Franklin said. “Are we trying to be a team that wins a bunch of games and is pretty good. Well, we’re well on our way to that and we’ll probably succeed. Are you going to be happy with just winning the regular season? It looks like that’s about to happen. We’ve still got to get a little bit of work done but we are one win away. So we’ll probably be able to get that done staying where we are right now and who knows about the tournament.”

“But if you are talking about making a deep run and we talk about this,” Franklin added. “I think that if we can just be sharper for 40 minutes and everybody played pretty good and up to their level. You don’t have to play great, but just pretty good, if we all did it and we are all locked in on it, then I think it is real. But we are going to have to do that. It’s not realistic to think that it’s going to happen if you are going to have lapses or we are going to have guys who are scuffling and struggling. You can’t be struggling with your game right now. You have to get in the gym and get over whatever is getting at you.”

“If it’s the pressure, that’s all this is from here on out,” Franklin said. “That’s what opportunity is and that’s 100 percent what JUCO is. JUCO is nothing but giving you one last real opportunity to do what you want to do and say that you can. But you’ve got to get stuff done. You can’t just back into it. That’s the message that I express every day and at some point you’ve got to take that message because that’s the only way. You’ve got to come charging through the door and you’ve got to go out and take it. You can’t be backing off or doubting the plays that you are supposed to make. You’ve got to grit your teeth and show everybody that you can. But those are just the things that you go through and we’re going through that in spots right now. We’re finding enough guys in stretches in games that we are still winning. But we’ve got to get everybody going. I’ll do everything I can, but at some point it’s about you looking inside yourself. This is grown man basketball, they call it men’s basketball for a reason.”

“We’ll direct them and tell them the truth,” Franklin added. “And they’ve got all of the greatest opportunities in the world right now. Our team has got as good an opportunity as any other JUCO team in the country. Which means each individual on this team has an opportunity. That’s what JUCO is, so we’ve got to come back charging and we’ve got to make surges. Individual players have to make surges the rest of the way. If we don’t, then we’ll just be another team that won a bunch of games in the regular season, that’s good. Won the regular season title maybe, that’s good. Then we’ll see. Maybe we’ll get enough wins here to go to Hutch. I don’t know. But if you are going to win it, which I think is out there, we’ve got to get everybody aggressively playing well.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (73): Bryan Akanmu 6-9 2-2 14, Lebron Thomas 3-3 2-3 9, Travelle Bryson 7-15 3-4 19, Dayton Williams 1-11 0-0 3, Hussein Elmaraghy 1-4 0-0 2, Christian Andrews 1-1 0-1 3, Meyoh Swansey 0-0 0-0 0, Jalen Calloway 1-2 2-2 5, Michael Cooper 5-8 2-4 15, Darstin Onye 0-2 0-0 0, Ali Sakho 0-1 0-0 0, Kenaz Ochogwu 1-2 1-2 3, Team 26-58 12-18 73.

VU (22-3, 12-0) – 33   40 – 73

Shawnee – 27   24 – 51

Three-point goals: VU 9 (Cooper 3, Bryson 2, Thomas, Williams, Andrews, Calloway). Rebounds: VU 43 (Bryson 10). Assists: VU 22 (Thomas 10). Steals: VU 5 (Bryson 2). Blocked Shots: VU 7 (Williams 2). Turnovers: VU 10. Personal Fouls: VU 12. Fouled out: None. Technical Fouls: Cooper (1st – 8:55).

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The No. 7 ranked Vincennes University Trailblazers improve to 22-3 on the season, with a 12-0 record in Region 24 play.

Lady Blazers roll in Region 24 road win over Shawnee C.C.

ULLIN, Ill. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers were back in action Saturday afternoon as the Blazers hit the road to take on Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill.

The Lady Blazers jumped out to an early lead over the Lady Saints and were able to pull away for the big 86-51 victory over Shawnee.

Vincennes opened the game with a strong defensive first quarter, scoring the first seven points of the game as part of a larger 11-1 scoring run to open the game.

VU would later add to their early lead with an 8-0 scoring run and end the first quarter of action with a 25-10 lead over the Lady Saints.

The Lady Blazers would get their lead to 18 early in the second quarter and keep the momentum going throughout the first half as Vincennes headed into the locker room holding a 42-25 lead at the break.

Vincennes kept the pressure on to begin the second half, opening the third quarter with six straight points and grow the lead to 58-32 midway through the period.

Shawnee would look to build some late momentum in the third quarter, trading baskets with the Lady Blazers to end the third quarter trailing VU 62-39.

The Lady Saints would keep battling early in the fourth quarter before the Lady Blazers put the game away with a 15-0 scoring run to take a commanding 84-47 lead.

The Lady Blazers would run the offense and take time off the clock late as Vincennes put the finishing touches on an 86-51 victory over Shawnee.

Freshman Ahmya Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) led the Lady Blazers offensively Saturday afternoon, finishing the game with 22 points, eight steals and seven rebounds.

Freshman Delora Pricop (Satu Mare, Romania) was on triple-double watch late as she recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 16 points, 17 rebounds and seven big blocks.

Freshman Jazmyn Robey (Sellersburg, Ind.) got going from long range, connecting on four threes to finish her day with 13 points and a pair of assists.

Freshman Emani Washington (Indianapolis, Ind.) came off the bench Saturday to add 12 points, four assists and three rebounds, while sophomore Marta Gutierrez (Alicante, Spain) was the fifth Lady Blazer double figure scorer Saturday afternoon, ending the game with 11 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists.

The Lady Trailblazers will look to keep this momentum going into next week as the Lady Blazers prepare to host Rend Lake College inside the P.E. Complex Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. eastern.

Vincennes defeated the Lady Warriors 77-52 earlier this season in Ina, Ill. behind 29 points by Emani Washington.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (86): Ahmya Thomas 9-16 3-3 22, Jazmyn Robey 4-10 1-2 13, Marta Gutierrez 5-9 1-1 11, Yanni Huggins 2-4 0-0 4, Delora Pricop 7-13 2-4 16, Iris Comesana 0-0 0-2 0, Emani Washington 5-15 0-0 12, Netala Dixon 3-8 2-5 8, Team 35-75 9-17 86.

VU (14-13, 8-3) – 25   17   20   24 – 86

Shawnee – 10   15   14   12 – 51

Three-point goals: VU 7 (Robey 4, Washington 2, Thomas). Rebounds: VU 44 (Pricop 17). Assists: VU 21 (Gutierrez 4, Pricop 4, Washington 4). Steals: VU 20 (Thomas 8). Blocked Shots: VU 9 (Pricop 7). Turnovers: VU 15. Personal Fouls: VU 19. Fouled out: None.

USI loses a heartbreaker in overtime

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball could not hold a second-half lead and lost in overtime at Lindenwood University, 81-78, Saturday afternoon at Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. The Screaming Eagles are 9-17 overall and 4-12 in OVC action, while the Lions go to 13-14, 8-8 OVC.

USI and Lindenwood battled back and forth for the first 14 minutes of the opening half before the Eagles exploded on a 17-4 run to lead by 10 points at halftime, 33-23. Junior guard Jayland Randall led the USI offensive surge by scoring 11 of his 14 points in the final six minutes of the half.

In addition to Randall, sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi pounded out six points during the run and finished with 12 first-half points. USI, as a team, was a blistering seven-of-10 from the field during the run.

The Eagles attempted to take command in the first 10 minutes of the second half when they used an 8-0 run to lead by 16 points with 13:25 to play, 54-38. Junior guard Jack Campion and graduate forward Jack Mielke posted a three-pointer each, while junior guard Damoni Harrison closed out the run with a two-point bucket.

Lindenwood, however, fought back into the contest with a 24-4 sprint to take the lead back, 61-60, with 3:59 to play. Junior guard Jack Campion would give USI back the lead, 65-63, with back-to-back buckets and bring the USI offense back to life.

After the Lions took the lead back at 66-65, Harrion drove the lane and gave USI back the lead, 67-66, while Olowoniyi increased the lead to three, 69-66, with 1:15 to play. Lindenwood would bounce back once again, tying the score, 73-73, to send the game into overtime.

USI was never able to get the lead back in overtime as Lindenwood would outscore the Eagles, 8-5, for the 81-78 final. Trailing 79-78 with 2:18 left in overtime, USI missed five shots to retake the lead and one final shot to tie with seconds on the clock.

Individually in the game for the Eagles, Olowoniyi led the way with his fifth double-double of the year, 22 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out in overtime. The 13 rebounds tied a season high for the sophomore forward.

Randall and Campion followed with 19 and 17 points, respectively, while Harrison rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points. Campion also had eight assists in the contest, one short of tying a career-best.

Next Up For USI:
The Eagles come home to Liberty Arena for the final homestand of the regular season next week when they host Eastern Illinois University Thursday and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Saturday. Both contests are slated for 7:30 p.m. tipoffs.

USI also will celebrate Senior Night Saturday prior to the game with SIUE. USI will recognize senior forward Nick Hittle, senior guard Sam Mervis, graduate guard Ryan Hall, and graduate forward Jack Mielke.

EIU enters today’s action later this afternoon versus the University of Tennessee at Martin with an 8-18 overall and 4-11 in the OVC. The Panthers have lost their last three and 10 of the last 13 going into today’s game.

USI took the first meeting of the year with 64-60 on the road and leads the all-time series, 4-3 overall. Olowoniyi led the Eagles during the first meeting with 13 points.

SIUE, which is 17-9 and 10-5 OVC, finishes its weekend by hosting Tennessee State University today. SIUE started the afternoon having won three of its last four and 10 of its previous 13 games.

The Eagles lead the all-time series, 46-24, despite falling to the Cougars in January, 82-76, in Edwardsvilles. USI, which trails SIUE, 4-2, since moving to Division I, was led in the loss by Harrison, who posted a team-high 15 points. Junior guard Sam Kodi and Olowoniyi followed with 12 points and 11 points, respectively, while Randall and junior guard Braxton Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points each.

Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.

Screaming Eagles drop road matchup at Lindenwood

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball finished the week with a road split after falling 75-56 at Lindenwood University on Saturday.

Southern Indiana (18-9, 10-6 OVC) remained in fifth place in the Ohio Valley Conference, while Lindenwood (18-7, 14-2 OVC) stayed at the top of the conference standings following its ninth consecutive win.

Southern Indiana jumped out onto the scoreboard in the first possession on a three-pointer from senior guard Vanessa Shafford, but Lindenwood answered with an 8-0 run over four minutes. A corner triple by sophomore guard Triniti Ralston snapped the drought just past the halfway point of the opening quarter. After Southern Indiana had some issues taking care of the ball in the first quarter, Lindenwood took a 16-10 lead into the second period.

Defenses continued to control the tone of the game, as each side had scoreless droughts of nearly three minutes between the first and second quarters. An inside make by graduate forward Madi Webb kept USI within six, 18-12, at the 8:04 mark. However, Southern Indiana went the next seven-plus minutes without a field goal, while Lindenwood went on a 13-0 run. The Eagles knocked down a pair of treys in back-to-back possessions in the last minute of the first half to get a little boost going into the halftime locker room, trailing 34-18.

Lindenwood started the second half with four three-pointers in the first three minutes to add to its lead. Meanwhile, Southern Indiana cashed in on a pair of buckets by Shafford and a triple from graduate forward Meredith Raley, as the Lions still led 48-27 at the 6:26 mark of the third. USI trimmed the deficit down to 16, 54-38, with under two minutes remaining in the third frame, but Lindenwood converted late free throws to carry a 57-38 advantage to the fourth quarter.

Southern Indiana made a push to start the fourth quarter. Sophomore guard Sophia Loden scored seven points in a minute to make it a 14-point game, 59-45, with eight minutes to go. However, USI went the next four and a half minutes without a field goal from the floor, while Lindenwood gradually increased its lead back up to over 20. Loden added to a strong fourth-quarter performance with a three-point play with two minutes on the clock, reaching double figures for the game. The Lions closed out the game with late baskets.

The Screaming Eagles’ tough offensive day led to a field-goal percentage of 31 percent (19-61). USI went for nearly 35 percent (9-26) from three-point range and 82 percent (9-11) at the foul line. Shafford paced USI with 16 points, connecting four times from outside the arc. Loden dropped 12 points after a 10-point fourth quarter. Ralston tallied nine points on three makes from the three-point line.

Lindenwood finished the game shooting above 46 percent (24-52) and 40.9 percent (9-22) from long distance. The Lions were also 75 percent (18-24) at the free-throw stripe. Lindenwood won the battle on the glass, 39-31. Sophomore guard Gracy Wernli led three Lions in double digits with 23 points, including five made triples.

The Screaming Eagles return home to Liberty Arena for their final regular-season homestand later this week, which starts Thursday at 5 p.m. when Southern Indiana hosts Eastern Illinois University. Thursday is USI’s Play4Kay Cancer Awareness pink game and the last 812 Night of the regular season. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.