No. 1 VU Suffers First Loss at Hands of John A. Logan

VINCENNES, Ind. — The No. 1 Vincennes University Men's Basketball team suffered its first setback of the season Saturday afternoon, falling 70–54 to John A. Logan College in Region 24 play inside the P.E. Complex. The loss moves the Trailblazers to 21–1 overall and 8–1 in region action.

The game turned early, as VU struggled to find any offensive rhythm in the opening half. John A. Logan jumped out to a 34–17 halftime lead, capitalizing on VU's shooting woes and physical play in the half court. While the Trailblazers showed brief signs of life after the break, cutting the margin to 10 during a short second-half stretch, Logan responded with timely baskets and defensive stops to maintain control.

VU finished the afternoon shooting 27.0 percent from the field and 20.0 percent from three-point range, though the Trailblazers converted 16-of-22 at the free-throw line. Vincennes struggled to generate consistent offense, finishing with just 54 points, while recording only four assists as a team and committing 13 turnovers, all of which compounded the offensive challenges. Logan's efficiency proved decisive, as the Volunteers shot 40.9 percent overall and 33.3 percent from three, scoring 34 points in the paint and maintaining steady offensive pressure throughout the contest.

Freshman guard Drae Vasser led all scorers with 23 points, knocking down 3-of-9 from three-point range and going a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line, while also pulling down eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Dayton Williams followed with 11 points and six rebounds, as the Trailblazers placed only two players in double figures. Sophomore forwards Prince Ojukwu and Lorenzo Malagnini each finished with nine rebounds, pacing VU on the glass.

Following the game, NJCAA Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin, now in his 16th season leading the Trailblazers, was candid in his assessment of the performance. "We got off to a terrible start. Just absolutely could not find the basket, and it didn't get much better the rest of the way," Franklin said. "That's on me. We weren't tough enough physically, emotionally, mentally. It doesn't resemble one of our teams, and that's my responsibility."

Franklin noted that while Vincennes did enough defensively and on the glass to stay within reach, the inability to execute offensively proved costly. "We probably got enough stops. We probably even got enough rebounds to have a chance to win," Franklin said. "But we were completely dysfunctional offensively. You could see it in our eyes — it just wasn't there."

The head coach added that Logan's physicality dictated the game from the opening tip. "They were tougher and more physical at every spot," Franklin said. "There was nothing confusing about it — they were the tougher basketball team today, and that's unacceptable for us."

Despite the loss, Franklin emphasized that the result serves as a measuring point moving forward. "You can get beat — we got beat," Franklin said. "But how you respond from it matters. There's a level you have to rise to when you wear this jersey, and today we didn't rise to it."

Vincennes will look to respond quickly as Region 24 play continues. The Trailblazers return to the road next, traveling to Lincoln Trail College on Wednesday, February 4 at 8 p.m. ET. VU won the first meeting between the teams earlier this season, 77–59, in Vincennes.

Hear more from Coach Franklin by clicking here.

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