Trailblazers Cruise in Region 24 Home Opener

VINCENNES, Ind. — The Vincennes University Women's Basketball team opened Region 24 home play in emphatic fashion Saturday afternoon, rolling past Lincoln Trail College 85–35 at the P.E. Complex to improve to 7–4 overall and 2–0 in Region 24.

Vincennes set the tone early and never relented, jumping out to a 23–11 lead after the first quarter and extending the advantage to 43–21 at halftime. The Trailblazers delivered their most decisive stretch coming out of the break, outscoring Lincoln Trail 30–8 in the third quarter to put the game out of reach before closing out the contest with a steady final period.

Sophomore forward Iris Comesaña-Varela led the way with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, knocking down four three-pointers while adding eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Netala Dixon followed, finishing 8-11 from the field, notching 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while sophomore post Dženifera Rieksta was efficient inside with 12 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Zion Hayes chipped in 11 points and six boards, as the Trailblazers placed four players in double figures.

As a team, Vincennes shot an impressive 59.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range, moving the ball effectively to finish with 17 assists. VU also dominated the interior with a 40–8 edge in points in the paint and used a commanding 47–18 rebounding advantage to add 13 second-chance points. Defensively, the Trailblazers limited Lincoln Trail to just 25.0 percent shooting from the field and 21.1 percent from three-point range and forced 12 turnovers that resulted in 24 VU points.

Head coach Nyla Johnson credited her team's defensive attention to detail and preparation. "I'm just really proud of our kids," Johnson said. "We've changed a lot about how we practice, especially defensively, and it's starting to show. They're doing a good job carrying things from film and scouting into the game, and our effort and attention to detail were strong today."

Johnson also praised the team's balance and collective approach. "Our team is really talented, and we want to use everybody," she said. "We always talk about positively impacting the game, and our kids have really bought into that. Whoever's on the floor helps us, and that's what you saw today."

Vincennes continues its December homestand, hosting Danville Area Community College on Monday, December 15, with tip-off set for 5:00 p.m. ET. Monday's game will be a rematch of the November 18 meeting in Danville, where the Trailblazers earned a 73–71 road victory.

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