Short-handed Blazers fall on the road at Shawnee after slow start

ULLIN, Ill. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers were even more short-handed Wednesday night when the Blazers traveled to take on Shawnee Community College, only using seven players and falling 58-51 to the Saints.

Vincennes fell behind early as Shawnee held an 18-4 lead midway through the first half, growing the lead to as many as 15 in the opening half of play.

The Trailblazers rallied late to close out the first half on a 9-4 scoring run to cut the deficit to nine points at the break.

Shawnee built their lead back to 14 points in the second half, holding a 47-33 advantage on the scoreboard.

Vincennes launched a 13-2 scoring run, capped off by freshman Thow James Biel (Calgary, Alberta) hitting a three to cut the deficit to three points with just over two minutes to play.

The Trailblazers battled late, but could not overcome the Saints lead, with Shawnee finishing the game at the free throw line to close out a 58-51 win over Vincennes.

"We have to play a zone because of foul trouble and we don't have the depth at this point and Shawnee hit a few shots early," VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. "I thought we missed nailing them a few times, we were late getting our hands up on a shooter. They hit a few deep shots and we couldn't hit a shot early in the game. We just have a hard time finding anybody that can put the ball in the basket."

"We fell behind early and I think from that point on we played them more than even," Franklin added. We were trying to dig ourselves out but we just don't score easily and we're probably not going to score easily this season. But we're not going to score enough until we find someone who has that confidence in the corners and can make the shot adequately. We're not asking for somebody to hit it at a high-rate, we're asking for someone to do it adequately. Because it's there and the other team is giving it to us."

"When we're not making those, it makes everything else harder and I think that was the difference in this game. If we could have hit a couple of those inside-out open shots, I think we would have gotten over the top. I know we have some guys that may struggle with confidence right now and at some point we have to get over that. We have to find somebody who can get over that to win a game."

"I liked our fight. I thought we kept fighting all the way to the end, down to the last play. So I don't think that was the problem. I think we can be more physical and tougher. We're young and thin and don't have that much depth so we can't foul, so there are any number of things that limit your physicality that are legitimate. But I thought we gave a good enough effort, it was just we have to find some guys who find a way to get some confidence to shoot the ball with confidence and we just didn't have it tonight."

VU was led offensively by Thow James Biel who finished with a game-high 15 points and six rebounds on the game.

Freshman Ketaan Wyatt (Toledo, Ohio) came off the bench to add 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds and a pair of assists.

Freshman Devawn White (Montreal, Quebec) also came off the bench and ended his night with nine points, seven rebounds and a team-high three assists for the Blazers.

Vincennes only used seven players in the game and had eight players travel for this game and the lack of depth showed late when freshman Brevin Jefferson (Indianapolis, Ind.) fouled out of the game.

Jefferson was able to score seven points before exiting early, with one rebound and one assists added to his totals.

"I thought Devawn White stepped up tonight," Franklin said. "I thought Devawn played hard and stuck his nose in and just gave us what he could. That really all we're asking of everybody, is to give us what you can where you are supposed to and at an adequate, competitive level and I thought that's what he did."

"Ketaan was similar, he still has two to three turnovers that he just can't make," Franklin added. "He's not a great shooter and tonight he hit some shots. He made some plays and stuck his nose in on the glass at both ends. Again, it wasn't perfect, but all we're asking is give us what you can and I thought those two guys did."

"I thought Thow had some moments. He still has some moments where he's just not physically tough enough. He has to rebound better but ultimately he gave us enough. We don't have anyone who is going to give us a great effort, so everybody that we have has got to come through. I've got to do a better job of getting them in the right positions to do that, so I've got to do my job and everybody on this team has to for us to be successful. I think tonight we had a chance to get the win, we just can't make a shot from the corner, with the guys that are expected to make that shot. If we just hit three or four of those it changes the game and I think that's what it comes down to from a strategic standpoint. But for what it is for who we are and for what we had out there tonight, we're a little thin and limited with what we could do, but we're on the road against a decent Shawnee team, I thought we had a chance to win the game. But we don't have the margin for error to leave some things on the table."

Vincennes will play host to No. 5-ranked John A. Logan at the P.E. Complex, Saturday, Dec. 11. Tip-off time is set for 7 p.m. eastern.

"We just have to get everybody to do their job," Franklin said. "Just try and man up and do your job. Whatever that is. We have to fight like heck to do our job and be someone that we can depend on to do your job at an adequate level. That's all I'm looking for."

"Whatever that adds up to, it adds up to. Maybe a win, maybe not a win, whatever that is, that's all we're asking," Franklin added. "I would just like to find a whole group that is going to do it. I think we have guys that want to, but we have to find a way to generate that to get it done. That's all I'm going to ask of them."

"We have to contain Sean East. We have to try to keep him off the glass. I don't know who we will have available Saturday night, so we'll try to do what we can. But I thought tonight we had a chance. We just have to have everybody do their job. I don't know what that is going to add up to Saturday night, if everybody does their job, if that will give us a chance to win. Logan is very talented. But that is what I am asking, every day, all the time. Be responsible and we just haven't had as much of that as we would like. We had some guys step up tonight and if Ketaan and Devawn hadn't stepped their game up like they did tonight, we wouldn't have had a chance to win. But they did and you can see how much of a difference that makes. They didn't do anything that they couldn't do. They did what they could and that's all we're asking. Hopefully we can get that Saturday."

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (51): Thow James Biel 4-13 5-6 15, Trenton Johnson 1-8 0-0 2, Brevin Jefferson 3-9 0-0 7, Grant Brown 0-4 0-0 0, Deatrick Pashell 2-6 0-0 4, Ketaan Wyatt 5-12 1-2 14, Devawn White 4-5 1-2 9, Team 19-57 7-10 51.

Shawnee – 31  27 – 58

VU (3-10, 0-3) – 22  29 – 51

Three-point goals: VU 6 (Wyatt 3, James Biel 2, Jefferson). Rebounds: VU 33 (Wyatt 7, White 7). Assists: VU 10 (White 3). Steals: VU 3 (White 2). Blocked shots: VU 7 (Pashell 3). Turnovers: VU 11. Personal Fouls: VU 17. Fouled out: Jefferson.