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Vincennes University

No. 10 Trailblazers Advance with Region 24 Quarterfinal Win

No. 10 Trailblazers Advance with Region 24 Quarterfinal Win
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March 9, 2026

INA, Ill. — The No. 10 Vincennes University Men's Basketball team opened postseason play Monday afternoon with a 94–80 victory over No. 8 seed Lake Land College in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Region 24 Tournament at Rend Lake College, improving to 29–2 overall and advancing to the tournament semifinals.

Lake Land came out aggressive in the opening half, building momentum early and taking a 47–42 lead into halftime. The Lakers knocked down several shots and kept the Trailblazers from establishing their usual defensive rhythm.

Head Coach Todd Franklin, in his 16th season leading the Trailblazers, acknowledged Lake Land's strong start and the challenge of opening tournament play in an early-afternoon environment. "Getting that first playoff game is always difficult," Franklin said. "Those early afternoon games can be tricky, and Lake Land played very well in the first half. They played hard, hit some shots, and we weren't quite as sharp defensively as we needed to be."

VU responded with a decisive second half, outscoring Lake Land 52–33 over the final 20 minutes to seize control of the game. The Trailblazers tightened their defensive execution after the break while continuing to produce offensively, quickly erasing the halftime deficit and building a double-digit lead.

"I thought in the second half we did a better job getting settled and getting stops," Franklin said. "We held them to 33 in the second half and were able to stretch the lead. As the game went on, we got more control and played more solid basketball."

Offensively, VU delivered balanced production with all five starters finishing in double figures. Redshirt freshman guard Drae Vasser led the Trailblazers with 23 points and seven assists, while sophomore guard Jalen Calloway added 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Sophomore guard Dayton Williams followed with 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, and freshman guard Elijah Lovemore contributed 14 points and four assists. Freshman forward Lorenzo Malagnini rounded out the starting group with 11 points.

As a team, VU shot over 50 percent from the field and generated consistent scoring opportunities throughout the game, finishing with 23 points off turnovers, 19 second-chance points, and 17 transition points, while recording 24 assists on 31 made field goals.

The victory also marked a historic milestone for the program. With the win, Vincennes became the all-time winningest program in NJCAA men's basketball history, surpassing Hutchinson Community College atop the all-time wins list. Since the program began in the 1903–04 season, the Trailblazers now hold an all-time record of 1,957–596, good for a remarkable .766 winning percentage over more than a century of VU basketball.

With the win, VU advances to the Region 24 Tournament semifinals, where the Trailblazers will face No. 5 seed Lincoln Trail College on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. ET at Rend Lake College. Lincoln Trail advanced with a 74–64 win over No. 4 seed Southwestern Illinois College later Monday. VU swept the season series against Lincoln Trail, earning a 77–59 victory on December 13 in Vincennes and a 65–60 road win on February 4.

Franklin said the focus now turns to improving performance heading into the semifinal round. "We'll need to play better Wednesday night," Franklin said. "The deeper you go in these tournaments, the better you have to be. Hopefully now we're locked into tournament mode and ready for the next challenge."

The winner of the Region 24 Tournament automatically qualifies for the NJCAA National Tournament, to be held March 21-28 in Hutchinson, Kansas. To view the full Region 24 Men's Basketball Tournament bracket, click here.

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