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).