No. 14 Trailblazers use second half comeback to advance to Region 24 Championship game

INA, Ill. – The No. 14-ranked Vincennes University Trailblazers had to rally late Wednesday night when VU squared off against No. 3-seeded Southwestern Illinois College in the semifinals of the Region 24 tournament at Rend Lake College.

Vincennes fell behind by as many as nine early in the second half but managed to battle back and pick up the 66-59 victory.

The game was close from the tip, with both teams trading baskets in the early stages of the opening half, before the Blue Storm grabbed first control of the game with a 7-0 run to take a 15-8 lead.

VU would cut the SWIC lead down to two but were unable to regain the lead in the first half with the Trailblazers heading into the locker room break trailing 30-27.

Southwestern Illinois continued to put their foot on the gas to start the second half, gaining their largest lead of the game at 39-30.

The Trailblazers would again slowly chip away at the Blue Storm lead before taking the lead back with a 14-3 scoring run capped off by a three-pointer by sophomore Trenton Johnson (South Bend, Ind.) with 11 minutes to play.

This big momentum swing in the second half really seemed to propel the Blazers toward the finish line as VU was able to answer any SWIC comeback attempts and were able to grow their lead to seven points at 54-47.

VU would maintain this lead and close out the game at the free throw line as Vincennes came away with the 66-59 win in a defensive struggle over Southwestern Illinois.

"I didn't think this win was ugly, it was just tough," VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. "That's what you expect. I've battled Coach Harrington who knows how many times now. I think we've played more in the postseason probably than anybody and they are all like that. They are going to guard hard, come at you and rebound and we are going to try to do the same. Both teams are going to compete at a high level of physicality and intensity."

"We tried to mix things up defensively because of that," Franklin added. "We wanted to stay away from some really bad foul trouble and letting them get into some isolation deals because that's what they have been going to a lot lately and that puts a lot of pressure on the whistle. So, I thought we would try to get them a little off on that and I thought we did. In the first half, we were behind, but I thought defensively us mixing it up was really helping us. We were just struggling offensively."

"I thought it also helped us out in the second half because we were not in foul trouble and we were able to just go out there and play," Franklin said. "It accomplished what we wanted. We just had a hard time trying to find someone who could get going."

Vincennes was led offensively by freshman Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) who came on strong in the second half, scoring 12 of his game-high 17 points in the final 20 minutes of play. Osei-Bonsu also led the Trailblazers with nine rebounds and was very active defensively to come away with three steals.

Sophomore Caleb Johnson (N. Preston, Nova Scotia) helped seal the victory at the end at the free throw line, hitting eight of his nine attempts from the foul stripe on his way to 12 points.

Freshman Kris King (Washington, D.C.) played some big minutes off the bench during the second half and ended his night with 10 points and four rebounds.

Sophomore Tasos Cook (Columbus, Ohio) would come away with eight points and four assists, while freshman Ryan Oliver (Antioch, Tenn.) came off the bench to add five points, four rebounds and a team-high five assists.

"Michael, early in the second half, took it on," Franklin said. "And when he did, we were able to get some traction. We just needed somebody that we could go to. Then as it went along you had Kris King and Michael and Ryan made a couple of big plays, Tasos was out there fighting it. But we were able to generate enough at that point."

"Our defense was pretty solid the whole night," Franklin added. "We gave up 59 points and we gave up several there at the very end when you have the lead and you kind of just let them score, even though you are not supposed to. But I thought our defense was good all night, so when we got some offensive spark, we were able to catch them and pass them and take control down the stretch."

"You just try to find the guys to go to and tonight we found some guys to go to and got some big plays on the glass on some put backs," Franklin said. "We've preached rebounding all year long and there it was. I thought we had a couple of good defensive plays where we took charges and held our position really well. I thought we should have even had a few more. But we got a couple late and it was good defense."

"I thought we kept them off the offensive glass pretty much," Franklin added. "Which is hard to do the way that they play. But it was a good win and we did it when Caleb had by far his worst game of the season and it was very encouraging that our team was able to pick him up. But I thought the freshmen were really good in the second half of this game. We've had our sophomores down the stretch do it a few times, this game was the freshmen."

"I did think Trenton Johnson hit a big shot," Franklin said. "It was a big three. We need that. I thought we had some good looks on those things in the first half and had a couple of air balls on some good looks. But I thought we deserved to win and I thought we earned the win. I thought our guys fought and battled and took it. And with it, I can't see any reason in the world how we don't punch our ticket to Kansas with that win and I think Friday night, I don't see how we are not playing for a bye."

"It's a big game, it's a District Championship," Franklin added. "Hopefully we can get some people to drive over. I thought we deserved to be in the National Tournament anyway, but I think tonight we punched our ticket and now we go and try to fight for that bye and a District Championship."

The Trailblazers advance to the 2023 Region 24 Championship game Friday, March 10 where VU will face-off against No. 2-ranked John A. Logan College at 8 p.m. eastern.

The Volunteers advanced to the Region 24 finals after defeating No. 9 seed Lewis & Clark 86-61 in the Quarterfinals Monday and wining 74-63 over No. 4 seed Olney Central College Wednesday night.

"We'll have to have more people play well," Franklin said. "Because Logan is the best team. If they were seeding the tournament today, they would be the No. 1 seed. They have been the No. 1 team in the country. Southern Idaho lost in their playoffs, so if you were reranking the teams today, Logan would be No. 1. So, we've got to beat the No. 1 team in the country Friday night and we feel like we can and I feel like that's the level that we are at."

"I just hope our guys get themselves loosened up and ready to play Friday," Franklin added. "Because we need everybody to play. It's the same mantra that I have said since day one, it's the same mantra that I gave when we went out and won a National Title and went to all of those Final Fours and it's the same now. I don't need you to play great, but I need you to play good. And I think that everybody, at this time in the year, should be ready to play good."

"If we can get everybody that is out there to play good, we can win," Franklin said. "But you are not going to beat the No. 1 team in the country if you don't play good. We are good enough, that if we play good we can win and that's about the best you can do when you are talking about playing the No. 1 team. Our season has been tremendous, we're 28-4 and everyone's talking about Logan. But Logan's the best team in the country this year. That doesn't change what we've done. We are one of the 10 best teams in the country, so we've had a great year and now we'll have to step it up to the ultimate level to win this District Championship because we're playing in the same District as the No. 1 team in the country."

"I hope the experiences that they have gone through all season and in this tournament, that by Friday night what we are going to get is everyone locking in and being ready and letting themselves be able to play good," Franklin added. "I think if they will let themselves, that I think that they can and will and if we can get everybody to show up and play good, not great, good and with their maximum effort, then I like our chances."

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (66): Tasos Cook 2-8 3-6 8, Trenton Johnson 2-6 0-0 5, Caleb Johnson 2-5 8-9 12, Michael Osei-Bonsu 7-9 3-5 17, Shilo Jackson 2-3 1-2 5, James Locke IV 1-1 0-0 2, Devawn White 0-0 0-0 0, Kale Gaither 1-2 0-0 2, Kris King 3-11 4-5 10, Ryan Oliver 2-4 0-0 5, Team 22-49 19-27 66.

Southwestern Illinois – 30   29 – 59

VU (28-4, 16-4) – 27   39 – 66

Three-point goals: VU 3 (Cook, T. Johnson, Oliver). Rebounds: VU 26 (Osei-Bonsu 9). Assists: VU 14 (Oliver 5). Steals: VU 10 (Osei-Bonsu 3). Blocked Shots: VU 6 (C. Johnson 2). Turnovers: VU 12. Personal Fouls: VU 15. Fouled out: None.