Trailblazers pick up road Region 24 victory over Lincoln Trail College

ROBINSON, Ill. – The Vincennes University Trailblazers hit the road Saturday afternoon for their first true road game of the 2024-25 season, heading to nearby Robinson, Ill. for a Region 24 showdown with the Statesmen of Lincoln Trail College.

VU was able to pick up an early lead and close out another big Region 24 victory, winning over the host Statesmen 79-69.

The Trailblazers were firing early Saturday afternoon, opening the game on a 9-2 scoring run to take an early lead before the Statesmen answered back to cut the VU lead down to one.

Vincennes would again get the lead back to seven at 19-12 before Lincoln Trail again cut into the lead to get back within one at 19-18.

Lincoln Trail would get the lead back at 27-26 until the Trailblazers closed out the first half with seven straight points to take a 33-27 lead into the locker room break.

Coming out of the halftime break the Trailblazers again looked to gain control of the game, getting the lead up to 46-38 before the Statesmen came back to cut the lead down to 50-47.

This would be as close as Lincoln Trail would get to retaking the lead in the second half however as the two teams again traded scoring runs before VU traded baskets down the stretch, getting the first double digit lead of the night and holding on to close out the 79-69 victory over Lincoln Trail College.

"I thought we had semi-control throughout but we could never push out to enough to have total control," VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. "I thought we came out with a decent start, got the lead and then never really relinquished the control factor in the game. But they would keep pushing back up. We would put them away and they would push it back."

"I thought the big difference was that we didn't have enough inside game through the first 15 minutes today," Franklin added. "They were playing us where they were saying 'beat us inside' and we should have been able to do that. We didn't have anybody that wanted to have the attitude enough to go about doing it. Hussein came in and got a bucket late. Darstin had a couple from the four spot but to start the second half we started Hussein and he got some buckets in there but we weren't stopping people at the other end. Then Bryan got some buckets as it went along."

"I thought we beat them down the court, which we thought we could do," Franklin said. "But they have a good team. They were attacking us, that's why they were in the polls a couple of weeks ago. They've got some good wins in here already, beating people like Three Rivers. So this was a good win for us. But it's like all of these wins, it's only as good as what we learn. We've got to go another gear. At halftime I felt like we should be up 16 instead of six with just a little more oomph, a little more focus, little bit more nasty, little bit more post down there wanting to dominate, little harder box outs a couple of times. And we can do that, we just have to do it."

"We'll see if we can get better this week but it's good to go on the road, our team is learning every step as we go through," Franklin added. "Road District game, 2-0 start over two teams that were in everybody's top four to begin the year. That's a pretty good deal for us from where we were a month ago. We're digging ourselves out of that hole and putting ourselves in better and better position and getting to be a better and better basketball team."

"I'm here to give them a Championship run," Franklin said. "Because they need that in order to get what they came here for. If they want the opportunities at the next level, that's what has got to happen. So that's why we keep pushing them because really there's no other alternative. If we're not exceptional and play exceptionally and have exceptional results, then they are all going to suffer. We're at the edge right now where we need to push up a little bit to where we can become exceptional so we can do exceptional things. Not just be good. You can say that's fair or unfair, that's what they came here for and if they don't, there's no other JuCo after this. I'm going to keep pushing that way because I think we can get there if they really want to, if they are really willing to and obviously we've already made some big gains, so hopefully it continues this week."

The Trailblazers were led offensively by sophomore and 2024 NJCAA All-American Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) who finished his night with 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Sophomore Bryan Akanmu (Paris, France) rode a big second half to 12 points and eight rebounds on the night, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the final 20 minutes of play.

Freshman Darstin Onye (Manchester, England) got the start Saturday afternoon and nearly came away with a double-double, picking up 11 points and nine rebounds in the game.

Freshman Jalen Calloway (Chicago, Ill.) returned to the VU starting lineup as well, closing out his night with nine points, six assists and four rebounds, while freshman Dayton Williams (Louisville, Ky.) had eight points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks.

"We didn't get what we wanted out of Kenaz," Franklin said. "You can't go out there and get two points and one rebound. You've got too much talent, too much ability and you've got to get a little bit nastier. Darstin, I thought, played better in the last game, so he got the nod this game. That's the way this works and will continue to work. I'm not lying about that, it's obvious if you've watched the game. I thought Darstin responded pretty well tonight. I think he's getting better and I think he's got more still in there but he definitely helped us today. He did the things that made us a better team today and that's the first step. We'll hopefully keep getting him better and better. Hopefully he smells it now and he wants more. Hopefully everybody that gets a little success wants more. But that's who we are going to look for. We're going to look for the guys that want more. Now for the next month this is totally their life, except for the week when they go home, it's a total priority. This is important for them and we need to act like it is for them this week and when we get back after break because this is a huge time where we can get better and not settle back. Hopefully that happens."

The Trailblazers will look to keep the momentum going as they get set to close out the 2024 portion of their schedule Saturday, Dec. 21 against Malcolm X College in Chicago, Ill. at 4 p.m. eastern.

Vincennes defeated the Hawks 87-66 earlier this season inside the P.E. Complex behind 21 points and six steals by sophomore Michael Cooper (Minneapolis, Minn.).

The Blazers will then return to the P.E. Complex after the Holiday break Saturday, Jan. 4 to open the 2025 schedule against Volunteer State Community College at 7 p.m. eastern.

"What I want them to take away is simple, it's all doable," Franklin said. "Everything that they came here for is obtainable. But we need more oomph to do that. They should know that now and feel it and I want to see that expressed in their actions this week."

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (79): Jalen Calloway 4-10 0-1 9, Bryan Akanmu 5-9 2-2 12, Lebron Thomas 8-12 4-6 22, Dayton Williams 4-6 0-0 8, Darstin Onye 5-9 1-3 11, Christian Andrews 2-6 1-2 , Meyoh Swansey 0-1 0-0 0, Taveon Smith 1-1 0-0 2, Travelle Bryson 0-0 0-0 0, Ali Sakho 0-1 0-0 0, Kenaz Ochogwu 1-1 0-0 2, Hussein Elmaraghy 3-4 1-2 7, Team 33-60 9-16 79.

Lincoln Trail – 27   42 – 69

VU (10-3, 2-0) – 33   46 – 79

Three-point goals: VU 4 (Thomas 2, Calloway, Andrews). Rebounds: VU 32 (Onye 9). Assists: VU 24 (Thomas 8). Steals: VU 9 (Akanmu 2, Andrews 2, Elmaraghy 2). Blocked Shots: VU 6 (Williams 2). Turnovers: VU 12. Personal Fouls: VU 16. Fouled out: None.