- By Evan Merrill Sports Editor
- Mt Carmel Register
VINCENNES -- Despite a valiant effort and strong contributions across the board, Wabash Valley College fell just shy in its upset bid of No. 3 ranked Vincennes, as the Trailblazers hung on to defeat the Warriors 72-69 on Wednesday night at Vincennes.
Wabash Valley College Head Men's Basketball Coach Mike Carpenter knew his team would have their hands full against the defending Nationals Champs on their home court, but with a good gameplan and some things going your way, anything can happen.
Though they certainly played tough enough to topple the Trailblazers, their shooting efficiency left room to be desired. The Warriors shot just 5-20 (25 percent) from beyond the arc, and 38.1 percent from the field in the contest. To beat a team as talented as Vincennes, those numbers just have to be slightly higher.
Other standout performers for the Warriors included sophomore Bobby Harvey's 18 points, sophomore Marcus Garrett's 12 point, seven rebound night, sophomore Tony Burks scoring 13 with four assists and four boards, and freshman Issac Stanback's 14-point, six rebound night.
Vincennes was led by Craig Porter, who scored 21 points and grabbed eight boards in the victory, and Kevin Osawe's 12-point, 14 rebound double-double.
This level of competition is nothing new, and something the Warriors will just have to accept as the way of life. With how strong Region 24 is this year, coupled with a tough non-conference slate, the Warriors have the 19th strongest schedule in the nation, and the toughest schedule in Region 24.
Albeit they may suffer some bumps and bruises to their resume along the way, such competition could serve them well for a potential tournament run, similarly to that of Kaskaskia's improbable Region 24 Title run last season.