The VU Lady Trailblazers withstood a couple of second-half runs by John A. Logan and held on for a 91-81 win in the first game of a double-header for the men’s and women’s teams Tuesday night at the VU P.E. Complex.
VU had stretched the lead to 12 at 82-66 by the 5:00 mark. But the Lady Volunteers went on a 12-4 streak to cut the advantage to eight at 86-78 with two minutes remaining. After a John A. Logan miss, Bratton drove to the bucket and scored before the Lady Volunteers’ Shenay Carter hit a trey to cut the lead again, this time to seven at 88-81. However, VU didn’t allow John A. Logan to score again and Elam hit a couple of free throws for the final score.
The Lady Trailblazers (7-5) will join the VU men in hosting another double-header at the P.E. Complex on Saturday. The women take the floor at 1 p.m. while the men tip off at 3 p.m. against Southeastern Illinois College.
Trailblazers top Vols 78-70 in game filled with oddities
In a game filled with oddities, the Vincennes Trailblazers shook off a week’s worth of rust and snapped a three-game losing streak by topping John A. Logan College 78-70 Tuesday night at the VU P.E. Complex. The victory extended VU’s home winning streak to 21 games, dating back to last season’s undefeated home record.
J.P. Olukemi topped the Trailblazer scoring with 19 points, including 10-of-12 at the free throw line in the second half, while DeAntre Jefferson took care of the points in the paint with 18. John Freeman regained the offensive spark that had been missing the past handful of games and scored 12 points while Cordell Passley chipped in with 10.
Matt Lander led John A. Logan with 11 points and the Volunteers got 10 points each from Lazeric Jones, Russell Moore and Jesse Perry.
The game began with Lander shooting two free throws after the officials whistled VU for a technical for “illegal dunking prior to the game.” Lander missed both from the line and John A. Logan was called for an over-and-back violation while taking possession of the tip-off after Lander shot. Each team was called for a foul and Freeman, who had struggled offensively lately, scored the game’s first points in the initial minute of play.
The early going continued to be a curiosity as the Volunteers reeled off 10 straight points to lead 16-8 at the 10:30 mark. The Trailblazers then went on a 12-4 run to tie it at 20 with five minutes remaining. VU, which fell out of the NJCAA’s Top 25 but received votes in the latest national poll after dropping three straight games, took its first lead at 22-21 with just over four minutes left when Olukemi scored.
With the Trailblazers leading 25-22 and 2:47 to go in the first half, Jefferson pulled down a Donald Stewart miss and stuck it back as he was fouled. Volunteers coach Mark Imhoff protested the call too vocally and received a technical foul. Freeman sank both of the technical free throws and Jefferson stepped to the line to complete the three-point play and produce a five-point trip down the floor for VU.
John A. Logan cut the eight-point lead in half on a Moore bucket and had an opportunity to slice it even more when it received the ball after a VU turnover, but the Volunteers missed two shots and Passley scored at the other end. Moore then hit a trey to get the Volunteers within three, 32-29, at the half.
The game’s peculiarity continued in the second half when, between two free throws by John A. Logan’s Chris Parks, the officials asked for a new basketball after determining that the one that started the half wasn’t sufficiently inflated.
The Trailblazers led 47-40 when Passley and Chris Wyse hit 3-pointers to give VU its biggest lead of the game, 53-40 with 11:28 left. Perry pulled the Volunteers within six at 58-52 late in the contest, but Freeman hit two free throws and Stewart drilled a trey before Olukemi blocked Lander’s shot and Devon Archie got free for a dunk at the other end to produce another double-digit lead at 65-54.
John A. Logan made another run at the Trailblazers when Perry’s two free throws and a Lander jumper decreased the VU advantage to seven with just over three minutes left. But Jefferson traded baskets with Perry and VU held things in check as the clock passed the 2:00 mark. The Trailblazers were up 70-60 when Lander penetrated, scored quickly and called timeout.
When the Volunteers came back onto the floor, John A. Logan had five guards and left the inbounder unguarded to intensify pressure on VU’s other four players. The Volunteers got the VU turnover they wanted and Lander scored again. On the next possession, Olukemi was fouled and hit both free throws for a 72-64 lead. Jones got by Passley and scored as Daimion Garrett fouled him. Jones hit both free throws for a 72-66 score and a two-possession game.
Olukemi got the ball again and duplicated his efforts at the line, hitting two more free throws, before Jones took it to the basket yet again to make it 74-68. The Olukemi-Jones Act continued as Olukemi hit one of two from the line and Jones hit his third straight shot for a 75-70 game with 16 seconds remaining.
John A. Logan’s Kenny Harris fouled out as he hacked Garrett. Garrett made one of two and the Volunteers turned it over. Olukemi was sent to the line again and hit both for the 78-70 final score.
The Trailblazers improved to 7-3 on the season. VU will host Southeastern Illinois at 3 p.m. Saturday, following the VU and Southeastern Illinois women’s teams.
