Vandals make tournament semifinals in second shootout

After struggling to a 0-4 record on day one, the Vandals came back with two wins in pool play and a 2-1 record in the tournament of the second Vandal shootout last Thursday and Friday.

It wasn’t necessarily that the Vandals played poorly on the first day – among the losses included a 35-32 loss to North Mac and a 56-55 loss to Olney – but Vandalia opened day two with an exciting 8 a.m. game.

During the first quarter, the Vandals trailed Mt. Carmel – the eventual tournament champs – by as many as 10 points, but an 8-0 run over the final few minutes cut that lead to three.

The run would continue into the second period, with layups by Tim Ritchey, Chase Woolsey and Wade Cowger – who are all rising seniors – that put the Vandals ahead, 26-23.

Neither team would lead by more than that until midway through the third quarter, when Vandalia got another 8-0 run to go ahead, 50-43.

Woolsey scored three points, rising junior Wade Harre made a 3-pointer and rising junior Colton Woolsey started it off with a layup.

A 3-pointer from rising senior Leyton Godoyo at the end of the period gave the Vandals a 56-48 lead, but Mt. Carmel had three straight layups to cut the lead to four and eventually tied the game with a 3-pointer with 1:09 left on the clock.

It would remain tied at the end of regulation, and Godoyo scored a layup within five seconds of the start of the sudden-death overtime period.

The Vandals then beat North Clay in the final game of pool play and took down Arcola in the first round of the tournament.

In the quarterfinals, the Vandals led for all but the first shot against Greenville, taking the game, 25-17.

Chase Woolsey was strong for Vandalia, scoring nine points to help neutralize four 3-pointers from the Comets.
In a rematch with Mt. Carmel, Vandalia couldn’t get by, falling 33-20 in the semifinal round.

A slow start doomed the Vandals, as Mt. Carmel came out to a 6-0 lead and eventually extended it to 12-5. A 7-3 run at the start of the second half cut the lead to six, but that would be as close as the Vandals would get.

Tournament
First round
•Greenville def. Vandalia JV
•Mt. Carmel def. North Clay
•Vandalia def. Arcola
•Nashville def. CORL
•Christopher def. Wayne City
•Olney def. Dieterich
•Murphysboro def. Pana
•Goreville def. Carlyle
Quarterfinals
•Vandalia def. Greenville
•Olney def. Murphysboro
•Goreville def. Christopher
•Mt. Carmel def. Nashville
Semifinals
•Mt. Carmel def. Vandalia
•Goreville def. Olney
Championship
•Mt. Carmel def. Goreville

Pool play
•Goreville, 6-0
•Christopher, 5-1
•Carlyle, 5-1
•Columbia, 4-0*
•Nashville, 4-2
•Olney, 4-2
•Murphysboro, 3-3
•Mt. Carmel, 3-3
•North Clay, 3-3
•Dieterich, 3-3
•Greenville, 2-4
•Arcola, 2-4
•Vandalia, 2-4
•Christ Our Rock, 1-5
•North Mac/Pana, 1-5
•Vandalia JV, 0-2^
•Wayne City, 0-6
*played only on day one
^played only on day two

Next up
The third summer shootout is next Monday and Tuesday. Vandalia’s, St. Elmo’s and Patoka’s schedules follow:

Vandalia
Monday, June 25
at VJHS
•9 a.m. vs. Patoka
•11:30 a.m. vs. PBL
•2 p.m. vs. Dwight
•5:20 p.m. vs. Princeton, Ind.
Tuesday, June 26
•9 a.m. vs. Altamont (at VJHS)
•10:40 a.m. vs. Putnam County (at VJHS)
•12:20 p.m. vs. TBA in tournament

Vandalia JV
Tuesday, June 26
•9 a.m. vs. Riverton (at JPS)
•10:40 a.m. vs. Altamont (at JPS)
•12:20 p.m. vs. TBA in tournament

St. Elmo
Monday, June 25
•10:40 a.m. vs. Litchfield (at VJHS)
•12:20 p.m. vs. Goreville (at VJHS)
•2:50 p.m. vs. Columbia (at VJHS)
•4:30 p.m. vs. Putnam County (at VCHS)
Tuesday, June 26
•9 a.m. vs. Trico (at VCHS)
•10:40 a.m. vs. Riverton (at VCHS)
•12:20 p.m. vs. TBA in tournament

Patoka
Monday, June 25
•9 a.m. vs. Vandalia (at VJHS)
•11:30 a.m. vs. Dwight (at VES)
•2 p.m. vs. Litchfield (at VES)
•4:30 p.m. vs. Columbia (at VES)
Tuesday, June 26
•9:50 a.m. vs. PBL (at VCHS)
•11:30 a.m. vs. Goreville (at VES)
•12:20 p.m. vs. TBA in tournament