Trailblazers Fall at Home to No. 6 Three Rivers
VINCENNES, Ind. — The Vincennes University Women's Basketball team faced one of the nation's top programs on Wednesday evening, falling 68–39 to NJCAA No. 6 Three Rivers College inside the P.E. Complex. The loss moves VU to 5–4 on the season.
Three Rivers' length and defensive pressure set the tone early, holding VU to single-digit scoring in each of the first two quarters. The Trailblazers trailed 22–9 after the first period and entered halftime down 44–15. Despite a more competitive second half, VU was unable to close the gap as Three Rivers maintained control throughout.
First-year Head Coach Nyla Johnson credited the opponent while acknowledging that her team struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the Raiders' zone. "Three Rivers is always a team that's going to defend," Johnson said. "Their zone has a lot of size, and overall, I just think we weren't ready to attack. We missed a lot of open shots we expected to get. We just didn't hit them."
Sophomore guard Zion Hayes was the lone Trailblazer in double figures, leading VU with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting while adding seven rebounds. Sophomore post Dženifera Rieksta followed with eight points and two boards.
Three Rivers' offense was efficient, as they connected on 10 threes, while shooting 44.2 percent from the field overall. The Raiders produced 15 second-chance points, 11 points in transition, and scored 28 points off 17 Trailblazer giveaways. As a team, VU shot just 34.9 percent from the field and a mere 1-of-12 from three-point range.
Despite the loss, Johnson emphasized that the group continues to grow and learn. "I'm really proud of our team overall," she said. "We showed up, we competed — it just wasn't good enough tonight. But our kids learn. There are no real losses, only lessons. We'll go back, dive into the film, and get it figured out. They're top in the country for a reason, and you have to expect that when you play a team of that caliber."
The Trailblazers now turn their attention to their first Region 24 test of the year. VU will travel to John A. Logan College on Wednesday, December 10, with tip-off set for 6:00 p.m. EST.
Hear more from Coach Johnson by clicking here.
Join the Journey
As always, fans can keep up with the Vincennes University Women's Basketball squad all year long through a number of ways:
- X (formerly Twitter): @VUTrailblazers | @VincennesWBB
- Facebook: Vincennes University Athletics
- Instagram: @VincennesUTrailblazers | @VincennesWBB
- Youtube (live & on demand content): BlazerVision
- Website: https://govutrailblazers.com
