Daytime works fine for Blazers

It was a rare afternoon home game for VU (20-2, 9-2 Region 24), as the region mandated this season that Saturday games be played in the daytime. Franklin said that afternoon games don't have the same atmosphere as night games, but it didn't stop Cook and Oliver from lighting up the Blue Devils (14-7, 4-6). Caleb Johnson, who produces night and day, also joined in with 21 points in his 21st double-figure game of the season.

It was needed. The Blazers raced to a 11-point lead in the game's first six minutes, but Kaskaskia was within two with 13 minutes to go before VU swatted the visitors away. It was the second time this week that the Blazers won by that score, matching the Wabash Valley final on Wednesday.

"Those guys (Cook, Johnson and Oliver) played well," Franklin said. There were times when we got a little bit tired and dead in the water. We have to continually work to get closer to playing that full 40 minutes. But other than that, it was a good effort."

"Anytime you can get 20 wins, it's a good year. But we need to keep grinding. There's big fish out there for us."

The Blazers relied on Oliver in their second-half pullaway.

The Blue Devils had an eight-point run, six by Zavian Jackson, to close the gap to 50-48. VU retaliated with a 15-3 surge to secure a double-figure margin for the rest of the game. Oliver started it with a timely 3-pointer, ending a near three-minute VU drought. He also tacked on a drive, a fast-break conversion and his free throw made it 65-51 with 7:55 showing. Reserve Kris King had all five of his points in that run.

The Blazers swept the series with the Blue Devils, winning 70-56 at Kaskaskia in November, but Franklin noted it wasn't as easy as the scores looked.

"Kaskaskia puts you in position to make you work. They're going to, especially against us, run that flex offense primarily. They're good at it, can hurt you in different places and it becomes a grinder for sure," Franklin said.

"Our defensive energy really went up for about that five-minute stretch and that was essentially the game."

Cook was strong from the start, scoring the Blazers first seven points and 11 of the team's first 18, and Johnson's fast break bucket made it 20-9. VU scored just two baskets over the next five minutes, and the Blue Devils got as close as 26-25 on two free throws by Emanuel Prospere, who had 11 of his team-high 14 points before intermission.

"We got up 11, and I could just see it, the focus was not quite there," Franklin said. "We lost two or three balls out of bounds and the next thing you know they're right on us again."

Cook, Johnson and Oliver combined for the Blazers last 17 points in the opening half. Johnson led that stretch with eight, and VU escalated its lead to 41-32 by halftime.

Cook had half of his points from the free-throw line, making all 13 attempts. That helped the Blazers to a nifty 19-of-21 firing from the stripe. VU also shined with 54% shooting (30-56) in its second 23-point victory in a row.

The Blazers are at Lewis & Clark at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

VINCENNES 84, KASKASKIA 61

MEN-SATURDAY

KASKASKIA

Petty (F) 4-10 0-0 8, Dawson (F) 0-0 1-3 1, Prospere (G) 4-9 5-8 14, Jones (G) 3-6 4-4 10, Jackson (G) 4-7 0-0 8, Smith 0-2 2-2 2, Harre 1-5 0-1 2, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Taiwo 2-3 1-3 5, Jenkins 3-3 4-6 11. Totals: 21-45 17-27 61.

VINCENNES

C.Johnson (F) 8-12 3-4 21, Osei-Bonsu (F) 4-6 1-1 9, Jackson (C) 1-3 0-0 2, Cook (G) 6-12 13-13 26, Oliver (G) 7-12 1-2 17, White 0-1 0-0 0, Gaither 1-4 0-0 2, Kr. King 2-4 1-1 5, Dixon 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 30-56 19-21 84.

SCORE BY HALVES

Kaskaskia |32-29 — 61

Vincennes |41-43 — 84

3-pointers: Kaskaskia 2-8 (Jenkins 1-1, Prospere 1-3, Jones 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Petty 0-2), VU 5-13 (Oliver 2-3, C.Johnson 2-5, Cook 1-3, Gaither 0-2). Rebounds: Kaskaskia 24 (Prospere 6), VU 31 (Osei-Bonsu 14). Turnovers: Kaskaskia 16, VU 11. Fouls: Kaskaskia 14, VU 23.

Lady Blazers rally for region victory

The Vincennes University women had five double-figure scorers, led by DayLynn Thornton's 18 points to go with eight assists, and they rallied from a nine-point, first-half deficit for a 75-69 basketball victory over Kaskaskia on Saturday at the P.E. Complex.

Elikya Baseyila produced a double-double of 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Trailblazers (14-8, 7-2 Region 24), hitting the team's last two baskets to close out the Blue Angels. The guard tandem of Staisha Hamilton and Taylor Austin had 25 and 20 points to top Kaskaskia (11-10, 4-6).

The game had little in common to the teams' earlier meeting at Centralia, Ill., in November, when VU rolled to a 102-58 triumph. The Blazers had a 21-19 edge after one quarter, but Kaskaskia forged a 38-29 edge in the second quarter before it settled for a 40-37 halftime lead. The visitors led after three quarters, 60-58.

VU's defense keyed the victory, limiting the Blue Angels to nine fourth-quarter points as they finished with 35% shooting (28-79).

Brie Miller added 13 points, reserve Nyre Williams 11 and Maycee Lange 10 for the Blazers.

VINCENNES 75, KASKASKIA 69

WOMEN-SATURDAY

KASKASKIA

Childress (F) 1-5 1-2 3, McDaniel (F) 0-2 0-0 0, Lumpkins (G) 4-17 2-2 10, Austin (G) 9-21 2-2 20, Hamilton (G) 10-20 1-1 25, Wilson 3-9 2-4 8, Rhodes 1-4 0-0 2, Guyton 0-0 0-0 0, Pieron 0-0 0-0 0, Russell 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 28-79 8-13 69.

VINCENNES

Miller (F) 5-13 3-5 13, Lange (F) 4-8 2-2 10, Baseyila (C) 7-12 0-1 17, Newsom (G) 3-9 0-0 9, Thornton (G) 6-19 5-6 18, Tzelou 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 5-11 1-2 11, Milton 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 30-73 11-16 75.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Kaskaskia |19-21-20-9 — 69

Vincennes |21-16-21-17 — 75

3-pointers: Kaskaskia 5-17 (Hamilton 4-11, Austin 1-3, Lumpkins 0-3), VU 4-8 (Newsom 3-5, Thornton 1-1, Miller 0-1, Lange 0-1). Rebounds: Kaskaskia 47 (Russell 10), VU 45 (Baseyila 17, Miller 11). Turnovers: Kaskaskia 14, VU 12. Fouls: Kaskaskia 20, VU 10. Technical fouls: Childress, Baseyila.