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VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University men’s basketball team jumped into the NJCAA Division I top-25 rankings Monday afternoon, coming in this week as the No. 23 team in the country.
The Blazers wasted little time flexing their top-25 muscle with a big 110-55 win over Indiana Elite Prep Tuesday night at the Physical Education Complex.
VU led the game wire-to-wire and really broke the game open with a 24-4 scoring run to take a 37-12 lead midway through the first half.
Vincennes would continue to add to their lead throughout the opening period with VU taking a 55-28 lead into the halftime break.
The Trailblazers continued to pile on the second half, using a late 17-0 scoring run to help finish the game as VU ended the night with a final score of 110-55.
“I thought there were some good things and some bad things,†VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “Obviously, I thought we were a little sloppy with the ball at times. I think we tried to force things offensively. We’ve got to do the work and when we did the work, we were successful.â€
“It was good to get everybody in the game,†Franklin added. “We almost had 12 guys play double-digit minutes tonight. Victor was just under at nine and a half minutes and Dende was a little further down. It’s just tough to get all of those big guys in there, but to get 12 guys to play double-figure minutes was really good.â€
“We don’t look at those guys as guys down in the rotation, we really don’t,†Franklin said. “I think that all of our players are good players. I think all of our players can play. I think all of our players could be good players playing for somebody else. We just can’t play them all in a given night. But we trust that if these guys want to bad enough, they can be good players. I think everybody on this team is a good basketball player who needs to become a better basketball player. Like all of the guys who come to this level and all of the guys we have had here before. I think we’ve got a lot of them and we are still trying to figure out who the best ones are to play.â€
VU was led offensively early on by sophomore Caleb Johnson (N. Preston, Nova Scotia) who had 10 of his 15 points in the first half. Johnson would also add six rebounds and a team-high three steals.
Freshman Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky.) came off the bench in the second half to close out the game with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Freshman Kent King (Washington, D.C.) ended his night with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, while fellow freshmen Kale Gaither (Madisonville, Ky.), Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Karyiek Dixon (London, UK) all finished with 10 points off the bench.
VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes native and Lady Blazer freshman Maycee Lange finished off a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double to give the Lady Trailblazers a 75-54 win over Jefferson College in VU’s first game on the home floor this season.
Both teams got off to a very slow start Tuesday night. The game was deadlocked at 1-1 midway through the opening quarter.
Vincennes hit a few shots late in the first quarter to stay tied at 10-10 after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Lady Blazers opened up in the second quarter, using a 6-0 lead to break away for a 20-14 lead and hold a 20-17 lead at the halftime break.
VU freshmen Maycee Lange (Vincennes, Ind.) and Katrina Litte (Valmeira, Latvia) began to expand the Vincennes lead in the third quarter, with Lange scoring 10 points in the third period alone as VU took a 46-39 lead into the final quarter of play.
Vincennes opened the fourth quarter on a 15-4 scoring run to take an 18-point lead and later used a 10-0 scoring run to help seal the game away as Vincennes cruised late to their third win of the season by the final score 75-54.
“I thought we did have a lot of jitters in the first half,†VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Harry Meeks said. “We didn’t take quality shots, although I thought we played really hard defensively. I think we could have scored a little bit more if we had been more relaxed. But unfortunately, I can’t get into their brain and get them to relax.â€
“We did a really good job of coming back in the second half and scoring some points,†Meeks added. “In the first half, it looked like we could run anything offensively that we have been running in practice. Second half, we finally found a couple of things that were working for us, including our defense, which put a lot of pressure on them. We were able to get some steals and easy baskets that helped us get away from them.â€
VU was led offensively off the bench by Katrina Litte who finished with 17 points, including three three-point shots and a team-high six assists.
Maycee Lange finished off her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while also adding a pair of assists and steals.
Freshman Elikya Baseyila (Paris, France) just missed a double-double, ending with 10 points and nine rebounds, seven of which coming on the offensive glass. Baseyila also led the Blazers with three blocks.
Freshman Brie Miller (Greencastle, Ind.) came off the bench to add nine points and three rebounds, while sophomore Chanice Willis (Champaign, Ill.) ended with eight points and two rebounds.
The Lady Blazers applied the pressure defensively all night, forcing the Lady Vikings into 28 turnovers and a 36-percent shooting percentage, including a 23-percent shooting percentage in the first half.
EVANSVILLE, IN
The community is invited to attend the University of Evansville Honors Program common read speaker event, which will include a presentation by author Linda Villarosa. The event will be held Monday, October 24, in Eykamp Hall, located on the second floor of Ridgway University Center. It will begin at 6:00 p.m.
Villarosa will discuss her recently published book, Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation. It was the common read for UE’s Honors Program freshmen this year. Under the Skin is a landmark book that tells the full story of racial health disparities in America by revealing the toll racism takes on individuals and public health. In this book, Villarosa lays bare the forces in the American healthcare system and in American society that cause Black people to “live sicker and die quicker” compared to their white counterparts. Anchored by unforgettable human stories and offering incontrovertible proof, Under the Skin is, according to Oprah Daily, “perhaps one of the most important and thought-provoking publications of the year.”
In addition to authoring her book, Villarosa is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, where she covers race, inequality, and public health. She also serves as an associate professor and journalist in residence at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York (CUNY), and she teaches journalism, English, and Black Studies at the City College of New York.
Christopher A. Kiefer graduated from Reitz Memorial High School in 1977 and became the Dean of the Schools of Business, Information Technology, Public Affairs & Social Services, and Entrepreneurship for Ivy Tech Community College-Southwest in 2015. He began a career with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, then as an Ivy Tech criminal justice professor spanning over the last 26 years in the public service field.Â
Chris received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master’s degree from Indiana State University. Chris also graduated from the Indiana Law enforcement Academy with honors in 1996.
A native of Evansville, Indiana, Chris is very involved in the community. Chris’s involvement includes a long list of organizations. The past 20 years and five terms as President serving the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation as Board Trustee, EVSC Foundation, Vanderburgh Parks Foundation, Vanderburgh County Community Corrections, Past-President of Memorial’s Booster Club, Co-Chair of the Ivy Tech/ EVSC Public Safety Bicycle Program, and Hangers, EVSC Clothing Bank Advisory. In addition to community organizations, Chris serves on many higher learning committees advocating for curriculum development, and program success, and working with state legislators for the betterment of education in the State of Indiana.
Chris and his wife Denise have been married for over 34 years and have two children, Courtney (Slater) Coe and Christopher II (Tracy), and a beautiful granddaughter, Daphne Ann Coe. As a family, they enjoy spending time with Chris’s brothers and sister at Rough River lake (Camp Kiefer).
Aces Defeat Miami Top Open The Season
 OXFORD, Ohio – Leading for 39 out of the 40 minutes, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team opened the David Ragland era with a 78-74 victory over Miami Ohio on Monday evening inside Millett Hall.
“Winning is hard, especially when you are playing against a team that is well-coached and puts you in tough situations. Every time we made a run, they (Miami) responded,†UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland exclaimed following the win. “I credit our guys with continuing to fight. This means a ton for our group. You are pushing hard work, commitment and so much more and you hope that you can win with it.â€
Leading the way for the Purple Aces was Kenny Strawbridge Jr. with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He added four rebounds. Yacine Toumi scored 15 points with five of his nine shots finding the bottom of the net. Marvin Coleman II recorded 11 points and 7 rebounds. Defensively, Sekou Kalle hauled in 10 rebounds to help UE finish with a 35-33 edge in that statistic.
In his time at Indian Hills Community College last season, Yacine Toumi was 0-3 from outside. In the opening minutes at Miami, Toumi matched the number of attempts while connecting on two. Toumi recorded the opening eight points of the night for the Aces as they opened with an 8-3 lead.
A 6-for-9 start from the field led to a 14-3 advantage for Evansville in the opening four minutes of the contest. Kenny Strawbridge Jr., who led all players with 12 in the opening period, had a pair of baskets in the stretch. Blaise Beauchamp put the finishing touches on the scorching start as he converted an and-one with 12:10 remaining in the half to push the lead to 19-5. UE was 8-for-14 in the first eight minutes.
Led by a Ryan Mabrey triple, the RedHawks battled back. His shot was part of a 10-2 rally over the next three minutes that cut the MU deficit to 21-15 at the 9:16 mark. The next segment belonged to the Aces, who were able to stretch the lead back to double figures. Gage Bobe converted a triple before Preston Phillips wrapped up the run with a slam with 3:21 left in the half to solidify a 32-21 edge.
Over the final minutes, Miami cut into the deficit, outscoring the Aces by an 11-4 margin to make it a 36-32 game at the half. Strawbridge led everyone with 12 at the break with Toumi scoring nine.
Miami scored first to make it a 2-point game in the opening seconds, but the second long ball of the game from Bobe made it a two-possession game once again. Up 47-42, the Aces doubled the lead when Antoine Smith Jr. drained a three at the 12:08 mark to give UE a 56-46 advantage. Over the next four minutes, the RedHawks cut into the deficit. Outscoring UE by a 14-5 margin, MU made it a 61-60 contest with 8:03 showing as Morgan Stafford was true from outside.
Toumi put the Aces back on the board with a free throw and layup that made it a 64-60 score over the next 60 seconds. With under five minutes remaining, Marvin Coleman II hit a long jumper just inside the 3-point line to make it a 70-63 game. After Miami came back again, Sekou Kalle picked up a dunk that would push the edge to 75-69.
With Evansville still up by six, Anderson Mirambeaux knocked down a trey to make it a 1-possession tilt with 47 ticks showing. Coleman converted three of his four free throw attempts to put the game on ice and give the Aces the 78-74 victory.
UE shot 46.7% on the night with MU finishing at 43.3%. Mirambeaux led all players with 27 tallies. Evansville continues to play on Saturday with a trip to Saint Louis for a 6 p.m. game.
Blankets Of Love, A Heartwarming True Story Inspired By Kathys Beautiful Daughter
by City-County Observer Staff
November 9, 2022
An avid reader and a lover of children, Kathy Tuley recently made her children’s book debut with “Blankets of Love” a heartwarming true story inspired by her beautiful daughter, Michelle, whose death came unexpectedly at the age of twelve.
Kathy wanted to have a purpose in life, and to keep her daughter’s memory alive, she became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)  because this organization supports and promotes advocates for abused and neglected children.
She volunteered for CASA for over twenty years, and in that time, she made each child she worked with a blanket, hoping to make them feel safe and loved.  Today Kathy has continued that mission today for others in need. When she’s not making blankets, she’s doting on her beloved grandchildren, who keep the light shining in her life.
Kathy was born and raised in Evansville, Indiana, and lives with her husband, Mark (her constant encourager), and a growing stack of books she hopes to read someday.
A successful book launch was recently held on May 15, 2022 (Kathy’s daughter’s birthday) at Washington Plaza.
Kathy was pleasantly surprised by a large number of attendees and sold over 100 hundred books. There were also coloring sheets for the kids, treat bags, cake, chocolate-covered pretzels, games, prizes, balloons, book markers, and much more which made this an enjoyable and festive event.  Also, the children were invited to color a picture (taken from the book). They wrote their name, age, and a sweet message to a resident in an assisted living facility that will be tied to each blanket.    Â
Blankets of Love is a beautiful story that shows big and little readers alike how easy it is to make a difference in the lives of others! A story of love, kindness, and simplicity that showcases the compassion of a child’s heart has received the following endorsements:
Endorsements:
Blankets of Love will fill your heart with wonder. A child’s desire to make blankets to keep others warm is a story for all ages. Kathy Tuley’s passion to share her special adventure will touch your life forever and encourage you to share your gifts.  Â
Mary Jo Huff-Author, Storyteller, Recording Artist  Â
Blankets Of Love written by local author Kathy Tuley is a heartfelt and passionate masterpiece filled with despair, love, and renewable hope. Â Certain aspects of the book are a tearful read and another part is filled will joy and hope. Â The companion project connected to this literary read is the proceeds of this book go towards the cost of fabric to make fleece tie blankets donated to people in assisted living facilities. The Blankets Of Love book and the donations of the fleece blanket project are worthy of your support.
CITY-COUNTY OBSERVERÂ
Kathy Tuley gives us a piece of her life and her heart in this beautifully simple story of giving. Blankets of Love is a sweet, easy read, that shows our children empathy and generosity through warm acts of kindness. A perfect story to snuggle up to with the kiddo you love. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Shelley Kirk-Eyewitness News Anchor
Benefitting PROJECT MICHELLE, the proceeds of this book go towards the cost of fabric to make fleece tie blankets. These blankets are then donated to people in assisted living facilities. Kathy was inspired to serve the aging population after the loss of her young daughter, Michelle who had a heart for helping the seniors.
FOOTNOTE: You can reach Kathy for the purchase of books, book signings, or events at 812-204-6492 or kathytuley@aol.com  Â
Hardcover books are $18.99, paperback books are $9.99.  You can reach Kathy to purchase a signed book or schedule a social speaking event by calling 812-204-6492 or kathytuley@aol.com   Books are also available on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.