Trailblazers unable to overcome second-half scoring run in Region 24 matchup with Kaskaskia

VINCENNES, Ind. – The VU Trailblazers had their three-game Region 24 winning streak come to an end Monday night when the Trailblazers fell 73-65 to the Blue Devils of Kaskaskia College.

Vincennes got off to another slow start as turnovers offensively allowed the Blue Devils to gain a 12-5 lead midway through the first half.

The Trailblazer offense picked up as VU went on a 13-5 scoring run to take an 18-17 lead.

This would turn out to be Vincennes' only lead of the game as Kaskaskia responded with an 8-2 run of their own to close out the first half and take a 25-20 lead into the locker room.

The Blue Devils would continue to grow their lead in the second half as Kaskaskia hit six three-pointers to build a 40-24 lead over the host Trailblazers.

VU would respond and slow chip away at the Blue Devil lead, cutting the deficit to single digits at 47-38 before Kaskaskia would again build a 15-point advantage.

Vincennes cut the lead down to six points with 1:15 to play, aided by the Blue Devils missing 10 free throw attempts in the second half.

Kaskaskia would find a way to hit free throws to close out the game however as Vincennes fell by the final score of 73-65.

"What happened tonight is simple, I have not been able to get this team to do what I say," VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. "Without questions, this is the way we do it. This is what we practice, this is how we go about it. I just haven't been able to do it. That's on me, I'm supposed to figure out some way to get that done."

"I know what needs to be done," Franklin added. "I know what the best way of going at it to get it done is. It's the way we've gone about it in the past and I knew how to go about it tonight, I just haven't been able to get them to do it. It could be a million different things, but the one simple thing is you have to do what Coach says. Know what it is and lock into it in practice, whether that's what we are running offensively, or how you post up, how you get in a defensive stance. There is a way and everybody that has ever played for me will tell you that there is a way. What they did was they bought into it and they master the way and the way we get to mastering that way is by doing it, period. Then we are going to do it as hard and competitively as we possibly can not just on game night, but we are going to do it in-between games to get prepared. I have just not been able to get that accomplished. I would like to get it accomplished and I've always been able to get it accomplished, but I've not got it accomplished right now. That is what went into the game tonight."

VU was led offensively by freshman Brevin Jefferson (Indianapolis, Ind.) who finished with 19 points, four rebounds and two assists on the night.

Freshman Trenton Johnson (South Bend, Ind.) ended his night with 14 points and a team-high four assists.

Freshman Darrius Davis (Pittsburgh, Pa.) nearly came away with a double-double, ending with 10 points, nine rebounds and matching Johnson's assists totals at four.

Freshman Shilo Jackson (Indianapolis, Ind.) began to find space in the paint in the second half on his way to nine points and five rebounds, as well as a game-high three blocks on the night.

Freshman Thow James Biel (Calgary, Alberta) finished the game with seven points and a team-leading 11 rebounds, while also dishing out three assists.

"We knew exactly how to break their press and when we did we were able to get whatever we wanted on a fast break at the end of it," Franklin said. "But even with that, we couldn't get guys to get to their spots that we've practiced all week. We knew exactly where to be, they just wouldn't do it. That's the only time we had problems. But that again is on me, I know what we need to do, we may be able to get beat doing everything right, but I can live with that."

"We just have to go harder," Franklin added. "I haven't said that very many times in my career. We don't go hard enough. We don't defend hard enough. We don't go after rebounds hard enough. We don't get after loose balls hard enough. I have never been associated with that and I have failed. I have failed to get them to do that and I, for the most part of 30 years as an assistant and head coach. haven't failed on that part very often."

"We could have gotten things done tonight. I think this was a game that we could have won. Kaskaskia is a good team. They are like a lot of these teams in the Region. I think from two to seven or eight, everybody is in a big pile. I think we are in that pile and think Kaskaskia is in that pile and I think tonight they did more things right than we did."

"There were no surprises tonight, I just didn't get them to do what I knew we needed to do. That's on me, it's my job to get that done and I have not been able to do that. It has been that way since the very first practice of the year and because of that our confidence level is not where it normally is. But our confidence level has never come from knowing that we were going to win. Our confidence level always comes from the fact that we knew what we needed to do, we knew we were going to do it, we knew we had paid the price and we knew we were going to pay the price for those two hours and if we can get beat like that, then we will live with it. We will just come back the next day and get back to work. But we were always confident in that. Right now, we don't have that confidence because we don't do what we're told."

"It's not about knowing we are going to win. That has never been it. It's about knowing that we are going to compete properly and knowing that we want to compete properly. That's where it is. I've got a month and a half left to try. I'll keep trying but so far I haven't been able to get it done. We've done better but I felt like tonight was a step backwards but I thought it was a step backwards because we don't trust our effort. So, we have to change that or nothing changes."

The Trailblazers will look to get back to winning Saturday, Jan. 22 when VU hosts the Trailblazers of Lewis & Clark. Tip-off time for that game is 7 p.m. eastern.

"Until we are fully committed to buying to this is the way that this basketball family does it, this is where we are," Franklin said. "We've had great guys who have done it over the years and these guys might turn into all those things, but as of right now it hasn't happened. Whether we're talking about being in a stance, or we're talking about how to run the floor and run the lanes properly, or whatever it is. Do what we've said."

"I think we as coaches have tried to be really clear," Franklin added. "I will be clear all week long. I thought I was clear the last few days. But that is what I want to see. It's all encompassing and it's a change in attitude. At some point in time, we have to do it. I have to be right. It's my job. I have to instruct them. I have to have a standard that I've set, but they have to want to go to that standard. Right now, I have not been able to get us to do that. That's all I care about, that's all I will continue to care about. But tonight, I thought we had the look of a team that wasn't very confident. But I have to find a way to get them to do it and I will continue with these days between now and Saturday and I will continue beyond that, no matter what I get back from them. I will continue to try and get it done until we run out of time because that is what I'm supposed to do and that is what I will do."

"I will keep trying to tell them what I think is the right way to do it. I was pretty positive that I had an idea of what the right way was tonight. There was nothing that was surprising and there is nothing about what we do fundamentally that we don't believe in that hadn't been tried and true over the years. Strategically tonight, I don't think we would do anything differently. Fundamentally there isn't anything that I would teach differently. We just have to get them to do it. That is the part, right now, that I am failing on and I have to find a way to succeed at it."

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (65): Thow James Biel 2-8 3-6 7, Shilo Jackson 4-4 1-2 9, Trenton Johnson 5-14 0-0 14, Brevin Jefferson 5-11 6-7 19, Darrius Davis 3-5 3-8 10, Devawn White 0-1 0-0 0, Grant Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Deatrick Pashell 3-3 0-0 6, Team 22-46 13-23 65.

Kaskaskia – 25  48 – 73

VU (6-13, 3-5) – 20  45 – 65

Three-point goals: VU 8 (Johnson 4, Jefferson 3, Davis). Rebounds: VU 32 (James Biel 11). Assists: VU 15 (Johnson 4, Davis 4). Steals: VU 2 (Johnson, Davis). Blocked shots: VU 3 (Jackson 3). Turnovers: VU 17. Personal Fouls: VU 17. Fouled out: James Biel.