VINCENNES, Ind. — Both Indian Hills and Vincennes have high hopes of making it to Hutchinson, Kansas.

If both make it, the NJCAA Division I National Basketball Tournament will be the stage for a much-anticipated rubber match.

The second top-10 battle of the season between the Warriors and Trailblazers was hotly contested from the start. In a game that featured 23 lead changes and 10 ties, free throws proved to be the biggest factor of the night

In particular, two missed free throws by Roderick Bobbitt with 26 seconds left that could have forced third-ranked Indian Hills into an 11th tie with No. 5 Vincennes. Instead, the Trailblazers avenged an 11-point loss in Ottumwa back on Jan. 3 with an 83-76 victory on Tuesday, handing the Warriors just their second loss of the season in their first trip over to the Indiana school.

Vincennes remained unbeaten on their home floor in the P.E. Complex and may have gotten the home-court advantage from the officials in the eyes of Warriors head coach Barret Peery. The Trailblazers got twice as many opportunities from the foul line than IHCC (40-18) and outscored the Warriors 28-15 from the line.

“I was really disappointed in the officiating,” Peery said. “I’m heartbroken for our team. I thought we battled through the storm and got some momentum. I thought we played hard and played the right way, but we couldn’t catch a break.

“We didn’t get a fair shake. I’m really upset. Without saying we got screwed, I thought we got screwed.”

The second meeting of the season between the two top-five schools had all the intensity of a national tournament game. The back-and-forth battle saw both teams used pivotal late-half 11-0 runs with IHCC getting their run midway through the game, avoiding their first halftime deficit by erasing a five-point Vincennes lead in the final minute to take a 40-38 edge on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Gary Ricks, Jr.

Back-to-back baskets by Brandon Spearman helped IHCC race out to their largest lead of the night, 44-38, early in the second half. That’s when one-half of a dynamic freshman duo stepped up for the Trailblazers in Ronald Ross, pouring in seven quick points to rally Vincennes back into the lead at 53-51.

The tension mounted as the game continued to be tight throughout the rest of the contest. IHCC took back a slim lead, only to see Vincennes used numerous opportunities at the foul line to regain a four-point advantage.

The Trailblazers reached the double bonus midway through the second half and drew 21 fouls on the Warriors after halftime. Vincennes, meanwhile, were called for just nine.

“I know at one point in the second half the fouls were 16-3,” Peery said. “That’s really disappointing.”

The third-ranked Warriors refused to go away, however, as Michael Haynes scored back-to-back field goals to tie the game at 64 with 5:44 left. Jameel McKay began to come alive as the Warriors’ leading scorer stepped up with a team-high 15 points, including several rebound baskets as IHCC crashed the glass to take a late three-point lead.

“We really crashed that glass. We had some unbelievable tips,” Peery said after the Warriors outrebounded Vincennes 46-35. “I told the guys to just keep playing. Things were going to go our way.”

Up 73-70, the duo of Ross and Dashawn Delaney took over for the Trailblazers. Ross followed up a Darius Carter basket with a breakaway lay-up to put Vincennes ahead before Delaney scored five straight points to put the Trialblazers up by seven with under a minute to go.

Down 81-76 with 48.6 seconds left, however, IHCC’s defense gave them a chance late. The Warriors forced an inbounds turnover and got two free throws from Spearman to pull within three.

After two free throws by Bobbitt cut the Vincennes lead to just two, Ross was called for a travel with 31 seconds to go. Bobbitt was fouled on a following drive as IHCC looked to continue their best night from the line this season.

Instead, Bobbitt missed twice after hitting his first four. Ross and Delaney, who have averaged nearly 36 points a game this season, put the game away at the line with Ross scoring 28 points while Delaney added 27.

The loss sends both teams to 23-2 on the season with No. 3 IHCC heading home to face Marshalltown hoping to clinch a share of the Region XI title. The Warriors’ first return trip from Vincennes is one that will certainly be emotional.

“I had guys in that locker room that were crying their eyes out. A few guys were punching the lockers,” Peery said. “The flip side of this is not many teams are willing to play a game like this. Our guys played as hard as they could. They’re heartbroken about how this ended up.”

No. 5 Vincennes 86, No. 3 Indian Hills 79

IHCC (79) — Jameel McKay 15, Gary Ricks, Jr. 12, Brandon Spearman 11, Ronnie Stevens 10, Dustin Hogue 9, Roderick Bobbitt 6, Michael Haynes 6, Trinston White 3, Frank Williams 3, Rawane Ndiaye 2, Kieran Woods 2. Totals 29-75 15-18 79.

3-point goals — 6-15 (Ricks, Jr. 4-6). Fouled out — Hogue. Rebounds — 46 (Hogue 11). Assists — 22 (Bobbitt 9). Steals — 5 (Bobbitt 2, McKay 2). Blocks — 6 (McKay 4). Total fouls — 29. Turnovers — 25.

Vincennes (86) — Ronald Ross 28, Deshawn Delaney 27, Darius Carter 16, Kendall Vieke 6, Jerrod Gaston 3, Lamine Dieng 2, Raymond Lester 2, Bryant Smith 2. Totals 26-57 28-40 86.

3-point goals — 6-15 (Ross 4-7). Rebounds — 35 (Delaney 11). Assists — 22 (Gaston 8). Steals — 10 (Gaston 3). Blocks — 5 (Carter 2, Delaney 2). Total fouls — 13. Turnovers — 18.

Halftime: Indian Hills 40, Vincennes 38