Vandals top Patoka in nonconference action

After splitting a pair of nonconference games in the past week, the Vandals will get back into South Central Conference play next Tuesday.

Vandalia travels to Pana that night for a rematch of the Vandalia Holiday Tournament championship game, which the Panthers won, 56-44.

Prior to that, the Vandals will host Litchfield in a nonconference game on Friday night.

Vandalia won the conference game at Litchfield, 48-34, on Dec. 14.

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On Tuesday, the Vandals couldn't control Taylorville's hot shooting in a 76-52 loss.

The Tornados hit 15 3-pointers in the game, including four in the opening quarter, which saw them take a 23-11 lead, and another five in the final period to secure the victory.

Vandalia senior Michael Wells nearly matched his career-high in scoring, with a game-high 25 points to lead the team for the fifth straight game.

Senior Leyton Godoyo added 10 points, while senior Aaron Harter had nine for the Vandals (12-7).

Tuesday, Jan. 22
Taylorville 76
Vandalia 52
V: 11-13-13-15—52
T: 23-13-21-19—76
Points: Wells, 25; Godoyo, 10; Harter, 9; Tim Ritchey, 7; Jussi Craycroft, 1.
Record: 12-7

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VANDALIA – Senior Chase Woolsey brought the crowd to its feet with his first career slam dunk, and the Vandals overcame a slow start to beat Patoka, 58-40.

Woolsey’s dunk came on a fast break at the start of the fourth quarter of last Friday’s nonconference game, and gave the Vandals a 24-point lead.

“If it’s a tight ballgame, I told them not to dunk,” said coach Brian Buscher. “But Chase is obviously capable of doing it, and he had no one around him.”

The dunk also settled a friendly bet between he and his brother, Colton, as to who would be the first to get a dunk this season.

Senior Michael Wells scored 17 points for the third straight game, and senior Aaron Harter had a season-high 15 points.

“He’s a good shooter and an athletic kid,” Buscher said of Harter. “He was 1-for-3 on his first three shots, but he showed after that that he is capable of scoring.

“Hats off to Michael, but the majority of his points came off of assists from the guards,” Buscher said. “Tim (Ritchey) is such an unselfish player to get those guys open.”

Ritchey had just two points in the game, but his six assists were a true asset to the victory, which started slowly for the Vandals (12-6).

Patoka (11-7) led for much of the first quarter, losing its 16-13 lead when Harter made a 3-pointer to tie it at 16 and Colton Woolsey made a second-chance layup at the buzzer to put the Vandals ahead.

“I said to someone earlier in the day, ‘I won’t say the score, but sometime in the first quarter, it will be tied up,’” Buscher said. “They are capable of scoring, and I just had a feeling that we wouldn’t come out as intense as we wanted to.

“But the next three quarters, we controlled the tempo of the game.”

After a pair of free throws from senior Leyton Godoyo, Patoka got a basket from senior Jake Orrell, who along with junior Johnnie Clift led the Warriors with 11 points, but that would their final basket of the half.

Vandalia carried a 10-0 run into halftime, and Patoka could never get back within 12 points for the remainder of the game.

Included in that run were eight points scored off of Patoka turnovers, including a 3-point play from Harter and a 3-pointer from senior Wade Cowger.

“We were scoring off of turnovers,” Buscher said. “We were keeping the pressure up, and getting baskets in transition.”

Friday, Jan. 18
Vandalia 58
Patoka 40
P: 16-2-8-14—40
V: 18-12-16-12—58
Vandals
Points: Wells, 17; Harter, 15; Ch. Woolsey, 9; Godoyo, 6; Co. Woolsey, 6; Cowger, 3; Ritchey, 2.
Rebounds: Ch. Woolsey, 6; Godoyo, 5; Harter, 4; Ritchey, 4; Wells, 4; Co. Woolsey, 4; Cowger, 3; Luke Hollinshead, 3; Colin Ledbetter, 1; Jake Shulman, 1; Team, 1.
Assists: Ritchey, 6; Cowger, 2; Harter, 2; Godoyo, 1; Carson Smith, 1; Wells, 1.
Steals: Ritchey, 3; Ch. Woolsey, 3; Godoyo, 2; Harter, 2; Jussi Craycroft, 1; Co. Woolsey, 1.
Blocks: Godoyo, 2; Co. Woolsey, 2.
Record: 12-6
Warriors
Points: Clift, 11; Orrelll, 11; Quinn Wadkins, 5; Sheldan Felchlia, 4; Seth Allen, 3; Drew Back, 2; John Houston, 2; Trey Lowery, 2.
Rebounds: Clift, 8; Clinton Donaldson, 5; Orrell, 3; Allen, 2; Felchlia, 2; Wadkins, 2; Team, 2; Dr. Back, 1; Dylan Back, 1; Houston, 1; Lowery, 1.
Assists: Clift, 2; Felchlia, 1; Orrell, 1.
Steals: Wadkins, 2.
Record: 11-7