VINCENNES, Ind. – The No. 20 Vincennes University Trailblazers fell behind early in the final regular-season game of the season to Wabash Valley in the first half, trailing by 12 points midway through the half.
The Blazers responded late in the first half and carried that momentum through the second half to come away with the 62-48 win over the Warriors at the P.E. Complex.
Vincennes got the scoring started early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead, before Wabash Valley would respond with a 19-3 scoring run of their own.
VU would battle their way back late in the first half, to cut the deficit to just three points heading into the locker room, trailing 28-25.
Vincennes flipped the switch in the second half, playing with more energy and intensity as would complete the comeback to take the lead at 32-30.
Once the Trailblazers grabbed the lead back on their home floor they held onto it tight, as VU would expand their advantage to 19 points late in the second half.
Wabash Valley tried to mount a late comeback, but ultimately fell short as Vincennes University came away with the 62-48 win.
The VU defense shined in the second half, only allowing the Warriors to score 20 points on 28-percent shooting in the final 20 minutes of play.
"This was really a tale of the first 15 minutes and the last 25. The first 15 minutes we weren't very good," VU Hall of Fame head coach Todd Franklin said. "Give Wabash Valley credit, they are a good team. That's the same team that beat Logan and was ahead of Olney Central the whole game, so this was a quality opponent, but I didn't think we were playing with much intensity or passion or determination and then we did."
"We picked it up a little the last five minutes of the first half and we took a 12-point game and got it down to three, which was big because now we know we're going into half and we haven't played well and we're just down three, so it's time to wake up. There was a little bit of intensity and passion put into that, but the point was simple, go show people who you are. Do you want to show them what you were in the first half? Is that what you want to be and luckily they decided not."
"Justin Archer, his first half was nonexistent in every way and in the second half he gets 15 points and eight rebounds. That's a 30 and 16 game if he plays the whole night and in the playoffs we're going to need him to play the whole night. We didn't change anything strategically, the things we wanted to do offensively and defensively we felt were still the best things for us to do, we're just not doing it with any intensity and if we get that we feel like we'll be successful and if we don't then we'll lose, so that changed and the guys that were on the floor should be commended for that. When that changed that was the difference in the game."
"We out rebounded them by 14, which was huge, because that's their thing. They are plus-nine in rebounding this season, so to beat them in rebounding tonight, with most of those coming in the last 25 minutes of the game, was huge. We went from 12 down to 19 up. That's a 30-point swing in a low-scoring game is pretty major. We need to commend our guys for doing it, but if we want to continue on in this tournament, which I think we have every chance to do, we need to put 40 minutes on them. The team that played the last 25 minutes has a great chance, the team that played the first 15 has no chance."
VU was led offensively by freshman Brevin Jefferson, who finished with a game-high 16 points, eight assists and three rebounds.
Jefferson frequently fed freshman big-man Justin Archer in the second half, on his way to 15 points, all in the final 20 minutes of play. Archer also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds on the night.
"I didn't think Brevin was very good for the first 10 minutes. I thought he was flat, he was getting beat on some defensive assignments, which he usually doesn't do. Then in the second half he got a little fire in him. He's been playing very good basketball for us. He's getting better and better; he's worked diligently on his shot. That was on display as the game went along, But it was just his passion, intensity and energy. Brevin wants to do good, he's a freshman but he has to play like a grizzled sophomore here in the postseason, which the good freshmen do."
"The same goes for Archer. Those two guys have the chance to be good players. We need them to now show that. In a condensed season, where you're not going to have as many games to grow as a freshman but those two have to be big for us. We're not going to advance if those two don't play big."
Sophomore DJ Brewton reached double-figures with 11 points in the game, while also adding eight rebounds of his own.
"DJ was fairly good all night. He probably had the most energy out of anybody we had when we weren't playing well. We still have to get DJ to where he wants to catch and shoot the ball. There are opportunities there and when he's really ready I think we can get two or three more big buckets from him on inside out situations. He had eight rebounds which was big, we need him to get in there and stick his nose in and do It, which was a big part in our 14-rebound advantage we had."
Sophomore John Ukomadu and Christian Wells also helped VU control the boards all night, with the duo finishing with seven rebounds each.
Ukomadu added seven points and four blocks to his line and Christian Wells came off the bench to add four points.
"We're just going to do with what's working. This time of year, you have to win ballgames and tonight the trio of Archer, Wells and Ukomadu was working for us more so than it has been. We'll play it by ear every night and we'll go with whatever the hot hand is."
Sophomore Randy Tucker got the Blazers scoring early, connecting on a pair of three's on his way to six points and three rebounds.
The No. 20 VU Trailblazers close out the regular season with a record of 15-5 with an 11-5 record in Region 24 play.
The Trailblazers will begin postseason play as the No. 3-seed in the Region 24 tournament. VU will tip-off Monday, April 5 at the P.E. Complex against Kaskaskia College at 7 p.m. eastern.
"We just have to play well. We can't worry about anything between now and Monday other than getting right. Get yourself as good as possible because you have no idea what you're going to have to do over the course of the week. Handle zones, traps, presses, man, you just try to get your team sharpe. We practiced how to handle things all year long, now it's about getting your edge and then making sure you're totally concentrated on those two hours. Nothing else matters, it doesn't matter if we've beaten them twice, they're a good team, they can beat us. The team that played the first 15 minutes tonight won't beat Kaskaskia. The team that played the last 25, I like our chances, but we're going to have to play better than that at some point."
"Just get ready to focus in and let it rip. Be ready for whatever comes your way. You try to be the aggressor, but a smart aggressor for 40 minutes. I thought we were the smart aggressor the last 25 minutes tonight and you see the difference. Then in elimination games you're always searching to find who's here tonight and you have to roll with that. Who's the guy that has the look on his face like 'I'm here to play' and who looks like a deer in the headlights. The postseason brings out both and as a coach you want them all to have that look of 'I'm about to get ya' but some of them will get that headlight look. You want to lose with your best stuff if you're going to lose, but you have to believe that your best stuff will get you home and that's what we've preached forever. It's gotten us to National Championships, it's gotten us to Final Fours, Elite Eights and we think we play a style that is conducive to postseason play. We don't feel like we have to do anything different, we've just got to do it well."
