No. 4 Trailblazers Stun Macomb with Late Comeback
VINCENNES, Ind. — The #4 Vincennes University Men's Basketball team delivered a dramatic finish worthy of its national ranking Tuesday night, rallying from seven points down in the final 67 seconds to defeat #4 (NJCAA Division II) Macomb Community College, 74–72, inside the P.E. Complex. The Trailblazers improve to 3–0 overall, while the Monarchs drop to 0–1 in their season opener.
Macomb led 72–65 with 1:07 remaining, appearing in control after outscoring VU for much of the second half. But the Trailblazers refused to back down. Sophomore Jalen Calloway buried a clutch three-pointer from the left wing with 33.6 seconds to play, tying the game at 72-all.
On the ensuing possession, Macomb's Caron Williams—who led all scorers with 21 points—missed a potential game-winning three from the right side with 8.3 seconds left. Freshman Alex Montes secured the defensive rebound and immediately launched a full-court outlet pass to a streaking sophomore Dayton Williams, who finished with a layup just before the buzzer at 0.3 seconds, sealing a thrilling comeback win for Vincennes.
"We just flat-out got outplayed for about 19 minutes of that second half," said NJCAA Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin, now in his 16th season leading the Trailblazers. "But when there was no time left to not make plays, our guys rose up and made them. We didn't have the urgency early, but when the game was on the line, we delivered."
Williams capped the comeback with a team-high 21 points, nine rebounds, and the game-winning bucket. Freshman forward Lorenzo Malagnini added 11 points, six rebounds, and a block, while freshman Drae Vasser filled the stat sheet with nine points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Calloway's late three highlighted his eight points, and Montes contributed seven points, four rebounds, and three assists.
"We were a little off in everything tonight," Franklin said. "Normally you lose a game like that because the other team's playing more positive. But at the end, our guys made the plays we had to make. They blinked, and we won."
VU shot 43.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three, while dishing out 18 assists on 27 made field goals. Franklin praised Macomb's talent and toughness, noting the matchup mirrored postseason intensity. "They're a really good basketball team," he said. "That's a top Division II program that could win a national championship. We were soft and slow for a while, but when it mattered, we showed who we can be."
With the win, Vincennes turns its attention to the McDonald's Classic, hosted at the P.E. Complex this weekend. The Trailblazers face Kennedy-King College on Friday, November 7 at 7 p.m. ET, following the opening matchup between Olney Central College and Harcum College at 5 p.m. "We're not playing anybody but Division I teams or the very elite of Division II," Franklin said. "That's how you get ready for March. These games test you, they teach you, and they make you tougher."
Hear more from Coach Franklin by clicking here.
Join the Journey
As always, fans can keep up with the Vincennes University Men's Basketball squad all year long through a number of ways:
- X (formerly Twitter): @VUTrailblazers | @VincennesMBB
- Facebook: Vincennes University Athletics
- Instagram: @VincennesUTrailblazers
- Youtube (live & on demand content): BlazerVision
- Website: https://govutrailblazers.com
