Vincennes Powers Past Shawnee Led By Jackson’s Double-Double
(Info provided from VU sports information – John Rumble)
(Feb 7, 2022) Vincennes, IN – Fresh off a nine day break after snow and ice storms postponed all of last week’s games, the VU Trailblazers bounced back from a 20-point loss at Lincoln Trail to claim a 20-point home win over the Shawnee Saints Monday night, 71-51.
VU freshman Shilo Jackson recorded his 10th double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Trailblazers to the win.
Vincennes set the tone early, scoring the first 11 points of the game.
The Saints would eventually score, but the Trailblazers managed to hold a double-digit lead throughout most of the game.
VU built their largest lead of the half on a Brevin Jefferson jumper in the paint at the buzzer as VU went into the locker room with a 39-19 advantage.
The Vincennes lead held around 20 points for most of the second half, growing to as many as 24 but never never falling below 17.
The Trailblazers used a late 7-0 scoring run to put the game away by taking a 71-44 lead.
Shawnee would end the game with a 7-0 scoring run of their own after Coach Franklin emptied the bench, but the Trailblazers still came away with the strong 71-51 win over the Saints.
“We just executed better than we did nine days ago,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “We played with a little more intensity. I thought we played our inside-out game better. We were better in the post. We were stronger and scored when we should. We didn’t make the sloppy turnovers on our kickouts and we hit a few shots. We didn’t hit shots like crazy, but we didn’t have any turnovers on those exchanges. We swung the ball at times, which I thought that was a big key in the first half.”
“Defensively, we were good with our pressure,” Franklin added. “We turned our pressure up a little bit. We saw some areas where we thought we could get after them and maybe get some early turnovers when they weren’t ready for that and we did. I thought our zone was pretty solid most of the night. I thought at the end of the first half we got a little laxed and we managed to score a couple of buckets and get it back up to 20.”
Vincennes had all five starters score in double figures, led by freshman Shilo Jackson who finished with a career-high 22 points and 13 rebounds. Jackson went 9-12 from the floor adding four blocks to the Blazer cause.
“I thought tonight was Shilo’s best game,” Franklin added. “I’ve got to go back and watch the film. He’s had some good games. He had a stretch early in the season where he was playing really well when we weren’t. But I think this was probably his best basketball game. He was solid. Didn’t have the turnovers. He played the inside-out game well. I thought he held his post pretty well. He made some strong takes. He made a couple of alive and alert plays when the ball was loose and he was the first one to get to it and got some dunks. Those plays aren’t luck.”
Freshman Trenton Johnson helped the Blazers build their lead, hitting four threes in the game on his way to 14 points. Brevin Jefferson finished his night with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Freshmen Thow James Biel and Darrius Davis each finished with 10 points, with Davis nearly getting a double-double of his own with eight rebounds and four assists.
Shawnee (7-5, 12-8) got 18 points off the bench from Tedrick Washington, Jr., while Adrian Cohen delivered ten points, also in a reserve role.
The Trailblazers improve to 9-14 on the season, with a 6-6 record in Region 24 play.
Vincennes will hit the road this Wednesday, Feb. 9 when they to Carterville, Ill. to take on No. 4-ranked John A. Logan. The Trailblazers fell to the Volunteers back in December 77-67. VU’s Thow Biel set a career high that night with 26 points. The Blazers held a nine-point halftime lead in that game as well.
