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Vincennes University

Trailblazers Ring in 2026 with Convincing Home Victory

Trailblazers Ring in 2026 with Convincing Home Victory
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January 2, 2026

VINCENNES, Ind. — Vincennes University Women's Basketball opened the 2026 calendar year with a strong home performance Friday afternoon, defeating NJCAA DII No. 21 Jackson College 78–60 inside the P.E. Complex. The win lifts the Trailblazers to 9–6 overall.

VU controlled the game from the opening tip, building a 19–16 first-quarter lead and carrying a 35–32 advantage into halftime before separating in the second half. The Trailblazers delivered their most decisive stretch coming out of the break, outscoring Jackson 24–15 in the third quarter and maintained control with a composed final period to secure the 18-point victory.

Sophomore post Dženifera Rieksta anchored the offense with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore guard Zion Hayes followed with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Off the bench, sophomore wing Iris Comesaña-Varela contributed nine points and three assists, while freshman guard Jalyn Davidson provided a spark with eight points, and sophomore guard Netala Dixon added seven points, a team-high 10 rebounds, and three assists, helping VU control possessions throughout the afternoon.

As a team, VU shot 50.0 percent from the field, converting 27 of 43 attempts inside the arc (62.8%), and finished with 23 assists on 32 made baskets. The Trailblazers dominated the interior with 46 points in the paint and held a commanding 42–28 rebounding advantage. Defensively, VU limited Jackson to 29.6 percent shooting from the field and 21.9 percent from three-point range, while forcing 14 turnovers and setting the tone with consistent ball pressure and physicality.

First-year Head Coach Nyla Johnson credited her team's defensive mindset for the response coming out of the holiday break. "I really liked our defensive effort today," Johnson said. "We challenged our kids to defend the way we're capable of, to make things hard and make every possession work, and I thought they responded really well."

Johnson also highlighted the value of depth and accountability within her rotation. "We're very deep, and our kids compete from top to bottom," she said. "If you do more with your minutes, you're going to play more. Our players understand that, and they respond the right way. That gives me a lot of confidence as a coach because when we sub, our kids play hard — that's the standard."

With the first game of 2026 in the books, VU now turns its focus back to Region 24 play. The Trailblazers will host Shawnee Community College on Wednesday, January 7, with tip-off scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET inside the P.E. Complex.

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: