No. 10 Trailblazers Close Regular Season with Win, Secure No. 1 Seed

VINCENNES, Ind. — The No. 10 Vincennes University Men's Basketball team closed out the regular season Tuesday night with a 77–68 Region 24 victory over Southwestern Illinois College on Foster and Adoption Awareness Night inside the P.E. Complex, finishing the regular season 28–2 overall and 14–2 in conference play.

VU built control early, using a strong first half to create separation. The Trailblazers carried a 38–23 advantage into halftime before Southwestern Illinois pushed the tempo in the second half. Despite the late pressure, VU maintained composure down the stretch to secure the nine-point win in the regular-season finale.

Following the game, NJCAA Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin, in his 16th season leading the Trailblazers, reflected on the significance of the season as a whole while acknowledging areas that still require attention heading into postseason play. "It's been a great season," Franklin said. "28-2 is the best record in the country right now, and to do that playing junior college competition all year is something to be proud of. Our guys have carried a target on their backs all season."

Individually, freshman forward Lorenzo Malagnini led the Trailblazers with 16 points and seven rebounds, shooting an efficient 7-of-9 from the field while providing a strong interior presence. Sophomore guard Jalen Calloway added 14 points and six assists, and sophomore guard Dayton Williams recorded a double-double of 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, while contributing six assists. Off the bench, sophomore forward Prince Ojukwu delivered 11 points and four rebounds, while freshman guard Elijah Lovemore added 10 points and four boards to give VU balanced production throughout the rotation.

As a team, VU shot 53.6 percent from the field and dominated the interior, converting 26-of-39 attempts inside the arc (66.7 percent) while finishing with 38 points in the paint. The Trailblazers also controlled extra opportunities with 12 offensive rebounds and 10 second-chance points, helping maintain separation throughout much of the contest.

Franklin pointed to Malagnini's performance as an encouraging development heading toward tournament play. "Mala (Malagnini) had a really good night," Franklin said. "We worked on a few technical things this week to help him hold his ground and finish plays around the basket, and you could see that paying off. He showed some determination and did a good job closing plays."

While pleased with much of the effort, Franklin acknowledged the team allowed momentum to shift late after building a comfortable lead. "I thought we played really well for about the first 28 minutes," Franklin said. "Then we let some things slip away in the last stretch. It was never really in doubt, but we didn't close the way we would like."

With the victory, VU will now turn its attention to the NJCAA Region 24 Tournament, hosted by Rend Lake College. Though their first-round opponent has not yet been determined, with the win against Southwestern Illinois, the Trailblazers have secured the No. 1 seed in the tournament field, marking the third consecutive season the Trailblazers have earned the top regular-season position in the region. Franklin emphasized the significance of maintaining that level of consistency. "It's extremely difficult to be in this position year after year," Franklin said. "To finish the regular season as the No. 1 seed again shows what this group has been able to accomplish."

Franklin said the focus over the next several days will be sharpening execution and preparing for postseason basketball. "If we can get everybody playing pretty well at the same time, we're a tough team to deal with," Franklin said. "That's the goal right now — play good basketball and be ready for whoever we face next."

Hear more from Coach Franklin by clicking here.

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