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Vincennes University

No. 4 Trailblazers Handle Triton on the Road

No. 4 Trailblazers Handle Triton on the Road
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November 15, 2025

RIVER GROVE, Ill. — The No. 4 Vincennes University Men's Basketball team delivered arguably its strongest statement of the early season Saturday afternoon, entering a tough road environment and earning a 74–59 win at Triton College to improve to 7–0 overall. The victory came inside Triton's Jorndt Athletic Complex Gymnasium — long one of the region's most difficult places to win — and capped a three-week run of major Saturday wins over Columbia State, Harcum, and now Triton.

VU set the tone with toughness and pace, leading 40–35 at halftime before taking full command after the break. The Trailblazers shot 48.4 percent from the field, controlled the paint 50–32, and outrebounded Triton 37–29. Defensively, VU held the Trojans to just 24 second-half points, 40.4 percent shooting overall, and 31.3 percent from three while forcing 10 turnovers.

Sophomore guard Dayton Williams starred again, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block in 37 minutes, relentlessly attacking throughout the night. Sophomore Jalen Calloway continued his steady, efficient play with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block.

Freshman Jevon Guess was dominant inside with 14 points and 6 rebounds, shooting 6-for-10 and providing the physical anchor VU leaned on in the second half. Freshman Lorenzo Malagnini, limited by early foul trouble, made a major impact after halftime with 10 points and 5 rebounds in just 23 minutes, while freshman Elijah Lovemore came off the bench to provide 8 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds, stabilizing the backcourt when VU shifted into a bigger, more physical lineup.

Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin, now in his 16th season leading the Trailblazers, said the game shifted when VU committed to playing through strength, size, and defensive pressure. "We did a good job physically, especially in the second half," Franklin said. "We went into a physical mode — playing bigger with Jevon at the four, Lorenzo at the five, Dayton at the three — and that changed the game. Elijah Lovemore came in and did a good job at the point stabilizing things. We just decided to go play a more pounded style and went from two up to 20."

Franklin highlighted several individual efforts as essential to the win. "Dayton had another big night. He had to play big minutes (37 minutes), gave us 21 and six rebounds and was relentlessly attacking. Jevon had a big night — 14 and six — and Lorenzo was really impactful in the second half even with the foul trouble. I thought we beat them up inside with those two guys. And Jalen had a really good night too — aggressive in the right moments."

VU's second-half surge turned a tight contest into a decisive road victory. "Those guys carried us home," Franklin said. "Lovemore, Calloway, Williams, Guess, Malagnini — that's who we went with the last 15 minutes, and they rolled us home. Huge win on the road."

The victory bolstered an already impressive national résumé, one Franklin believes is worthy of the top spot in the upcoming poll. "This almost certainly should put us at number one in the country on Monday," Franklin said. "It's a huge deal — very difficult to do. With Trinity Valley (No. 1), South Plains (No. 2), and Daytona State (No. 3) all losing this week, our results speak for themselves. I don't know how it could possibly be anyone else."

Vincennes will now return home to face Kankakee Community College on Saturday, November 22 at 7 p.m. ET. Franklin emphasized the importance of having support inside the P.E. Complex. "These guys have earned the right to have a gym that's packed and loud," he said. "Hopefully we get that next Saturday night when an undefeated Kankakee team comes into town. This team deserves it — now we've got to keep getting better so we're where we want to be in March."

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