Vandals beat EAWR in sloppy game

VANDALIA – The Vandals changed up their defensive philosophy in last Friday’s game, and while it produced a win, it took a while to get to that point.

The aggressive style helped contribute to 54 total fouls, leading to 62 free-throw attempts in a marathon game against East Alton-Wood River that left Vandalia with a 66-47 victory for its first back-to-back wins of the season.

“We purposely over the last two days (in practice) have tried to guard harder on the ball,” said coach Brian Buscher. “We tend to sit back and let offenses do whatever they want to us, and I was sick and tired of that.

“It was still the same defensive philosophy, but we decided to get up,” he said. “If you can’t get up and guard someone, the next person is coming in.”

Vandalia had 10 steals in the game, and forced EAWR into 18 turnovers.

The Vandals rotated in 13 players throughout the game, including the varsity debuts of freshmen Richie Well and Kelly Jones.

“I knew that they would be dressing after Christmas, because they have been practicing with us all year and they can push the older guys,” Buscher said. “I was pleased with how they played.

“We’ll probably be going deeper on our bench in the second half than we have been.”

Eleven Vandals scored in the game, which saw Vandalia (5-9) score 45 points in the first half to take command before stalling, with just 21 second-half points.

The first half was Vandalia’s best this season in terms of offensive output, beating the previous high of 31 set in wins against South Central and Shelbyville, and the 25 points in the second period are the most the team has scored in any quarter this season.

“We were happy with the first half,” Buscher said. “The second half partially was because their fouling took us out of pushing the ball.

“There was no flow in the second half – for either team.”

There were 28 fouls called in the second half – including 10 in a three-minute span toward the end of the third quarter – with 14 being called on each side.

The Vandals had 29 fouls in the game – the most in a game this season – picking up its seventh just 5:53 into the opening quarter, helping allow the Oilers to attempt 34 free throws in the game.

EAWR would make just 15 of those free shots, and the Vandals were 15-for-28 at the line.

Junior Collin Nestleroad paced the offense with 13 points, and senior Colton Woolsey just missed his fifth straight double-double, with 11 rebounds and nine points.

Senior Carson Smith scored 11 points – including three 3-pointers – to break a two-game scoreless streak, and senior Wade Harre also had nine points.

Due to the snowstorm that hit two weekends ago, the Vandals did not have their usual practice schedule leading up to the game, with full practices only last Wednesday and last Thursday.

But Buscher said those sessions were some of the best defensive practices the team has had all season.

Notes: There were so many fouls called in the second half that when Vandalia committed its seventh foul, officials did not notice that the Oilers should have been awarded bonus free throws … Late in the second quarter, an EAWR player threw an inbounds pass three-quarters the length of the court and off his team’s backboard; Nestleroad corralled the loose ball for a steal … Junior Robby Lott scored his first career varsity point on a free throw in the fourth quarter.

Friday, Jan. 10
Vandalia 66
EAWR 47
E: 11-8-17-11—47
V: 20-25-10-11—66
Points: Nestleroad, 13; Smith, 11; Harre, 9; Woolsey, 9; Luke Hollinshead, 7; Well, 6; Austin Durbin, 4; Jones, 2; Colin Ledbetter, 2; Jake Shulman, 2; Lott, 1.
Rebounds: Woolsey, 11; Nestleroad, 7; Team, 6; Hollinshead, 5; Harre, 4; Lott, 3; Shulman, 3; Durbin, 2; Jones, 1; Ledbetter, 1; Smith, 1; Well, 1.
Assists: Woolsey, 3; Nestleroad, 3; Durbin, 2; Hollinshead, 2; Smith, 2; Harre, 1.
Steals: Nestleroad, 5; Durbin, 2; Ledbetter, 1; Lott, 1; Woolsey, 1.
Blocks: Woolsey, 3; Harre, 1; Hollinshead, 1; Nestleroad, 1.
Record: 5-9
JV: Vandalia won, 57-50.