Southern Vance Names Darry Ragland as Head Football Coach

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When Southern Vance High School’s new head football coach takes the sidelines this fall, it will be a familiar face for Raider fans.

Southern Vance has announced that their new head football coach will be Darry Ragland. The announcement serves as a homecoming of sorts for the Raiders as Ragland previously served as an assistant coach at Southern Vance for 14 seasons from 1999 to 2012. He coached wide receivers and was the offensive coordinator under former head coaches Mark Perry and David Jennings. Ragland was also offensive coordinator under outgoing head coach Lewis Young in 2012 before leaving to become the Assistant Head Coach at Northern Vance from 2013-2016.

Ragland served as offensive coordinator for the Raiders in 2006 when Southern Vance lost in the NCHSAA 2AA State Championship game to Shelby, 27-24. He specializes in a variety of offensive systems and will bring a new look to the Raiders this fall.

“We took our time and did our due diligence while searching for our next head football coach.” Athletic Director Joe Sharrow said of the coaching search. “ We ultimately believed that bringing Coach Ragland home to a place that he loves and is familiar with is what we needed at this time. He knows our kids, he knows our school, and I am confident that he knows what it takes to be successful here.”

Ragland will replace Lewis Young, who resigned in November after finishing his career with a 14-43 record. This will be Ragland’s first opportunity as a head coach and he has prioritized returning the Raiders to the type of success that was achieved while he was an assistant coach at Southern Vance.

“Southern Vance has a strong football tradition that I am proud to have been a part of and would like to bring back,” said Ragland in a statement. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to come home and lead the Raiders back to what we once were. I would like to thank (Principal) Rey Horner and (Athletic Director) Joe Sharrow for the trust they have bestowed upon me. Those two have created an incredibly supportive atmosphere here that I am excited to be a part of.”

Southern Vance will open the 2017 football season at home against Bartlett Yancey High School.

VGCC basketball season ends in second round of conference tourney

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team recently closed out the season at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Region X tournament, the first two rounds of which were held at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Va.

On March 4, VGCC, the tenth seed in the tournament, defeated the seventh-seeded Titans of Guilford Technical Community College in the opening round, 90-87, recording the program’s first postseason win since 2015. The victory came just one week after the Vanguards lost to the Titans, 108-102, to wrap up the regular season.

This time, VGCC came out strong from the start, leading by as many as eight points in the first five minutes of play. GTCC came back in the middle of the first half but the Vanguards responded and built up a 44-39 lead at halftime. VGCC led for practically the entire second half, beating back a late rally by the Titans to secure the narrow win, in part on the strength of shooting 100% (14 for 14) from the free-throw line. According to the staff at tournament host Richard Bland College, the Vanguards were the only team to make 100% of their free throws all season in that arena, and may be the only team to be perfect from the line in a Region X tournament game.

“The NJCAA Region X Conference tournament was an amazing experience for both the players and myself,” said VGCC head coach DeMarcus Oliver. “The atmosphere was electric! For the first time, players had the opportunity to play in front of NCAA Division I and II college coaches sitting court-side to recruit. This is the place where everything mattered, from the pre-game warm-up to the post-game hand shake.” The coach said that the tournament, his first since taking the reins of the program, will always be “an unforgettable moment” in his life. “Being defeated by Guilford Tech twice in the regular season, and then coming out victorious when it mattered most, brought tears to my eyes as I left the court,” Oliver added.

The Vanguards were led in scoring by sophomore TyQuon Reid of Goldsboro, who posted 26 points to go along with four steals. Freshman NiQuan Cousins of Raleigh was also key, contributing 24 points as well as a team-high 14 rebounds. Freshman Kenneth Finley, Jr., of Raleigh led in assists (6), while also scoring 11 points. Sophomore Chris Pernell of Raleigh put up 14 points.

With the win, VGCC advanced to the second (quarter-final) round on March 5, but lost to the number-two seed, Richard Bland College, on March 5. The Statesmen were ranked as the eighth-best team in the nation in the most recent NJCAA Division II poll.

Cousins scored a game-high 25 points for VGCC and also led in rebounding (8). Reid put up 14 points and 3 assists in his final game as a Vanguard. His fellow sophomores were Pernell, who had 6 points, 2 rebounds, one assist and one steal; Antonio Adams of Oxford, who had 4 rebounds and a steal; and Michael Henderson of Henderson, with 3 rebounds.

The 2016-17 season saw the emergence of two Vanguards as national leaders. Cousins was the top rebounder in the nation this year for Division II, recording 432 total rebounds and 14.9 rebounds per game while also ranking first in both offensive rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game. He is VGCC’s all-time leader in rebounds during a single season and in a single game (28). Reid, meanwhile, ended the season ranked third in the nation for free-throw shooting (195-256) and fifth in steals (95). Reid was also VGCC’s team leader in points per game (23.3), assists per game (6.1) and steals per game (3.3) for the season.

Before the opening of the conference tournament, Reid was named to the All-Region X Second Team, becoming just the third Vanguard to receive that honor in program history. He is also the first player in VGCC history to score 1,000 points.

Coach Oliver said that among the many highlights of the season, the Vanguards defeated the UNC Tar Heels JV team for the first time, and at one point had three players ranked on the NJCAA national leader boards at the same time: Cousins, Reid and Finley. He added that Pernell became the first player in Vanguards history to make more than 100 career three-pointers, with nine of those coming in a single game.

“I can assure our VGCC fans that we will be back in the 2017-2018 season, playing some exciting basketball,” Coach Oliver said. “I am committed to building a much stronger, better, and more equipped men’s basketball program that will aid us in continuing to pursue making history! Thanks to sophomore players such as TyQuon Reid (Team Captain), Chris Pernell (Team Co-Captain), Antonio Adams, and Michael Henderson, for being four solid pillars that I have used to start construction on the rebuilding of VGCC men’s basketball.”

–VGCC–

UNC Justin Jackson ACC Player of Year

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, March 5, 2017

https://theacc.co/mbb17allacc

 

ACC Announces All-Conference Team, Postseason Awards

UNC’s Jackson voted ACC Player of the Year; NC State’s Smith takes Freshman honor

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year Justin Jackson of North Carolina leads the official 2016-17 season award winners and All-ACC basketball team announced by the league on Sunday.

 

Jackson, a junior from Tomball, Texas, was the choice of 24 members of the voting panel (15 ACC head coaches, selected media) that cast ballots for this year’s postseason honors. Wake Forest’s John Collins placed second with 15 votes.

 

The voting panel selected NC State’s Dennis Smith Jr. as the ACC Freshman of the Year.  Georgia Tech’s Josh Pastner was voted the ACC Coach of the Year, while Virginia Tech’s Seth Allen earned recognition as Sixth Man of the Year. Wake Forest’s Collins was voted the ACC’s Most Improved Player, and Georgia Tech junior Ben Lammers received the nod as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

 

Jackson and Collins are joined on the All-ACC first team by Duke sophomore Luke Kennard, Notre Dame junior Bonzie Colson and Louisville sophomore Donovan Mitchell. Jackson, Kennard and Colson are also among the 15 college players that were named to the John R. Wooden Award national ballot on Saturday.

 

The 6-foot-8 Jackson is seventh among ACC scorers at 18.3 points per game, and his 85 field goals from 3-point range rank second in the conference.  Jackson also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while helping lead the Tar Heels to a 26-6 overall record, the ACC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed for this week’s New York Life ACC Tournament at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

 

Jackson has posted 16 games this season of 20-or-more points and has led UNC in scoring in 13 of the last 19 games. He has connected on at least five 3-point shots in five games this season and has 11 games with at least four made 3-pointers.

 

Duke’s Kennard is the only unanimous selection to this year’s All-ACC first team and leads the conference in scoring at 20.1 points per game. The Franklin, Ohio, sophomore ranks second among ACC players in 3-point field goal percentage (.450), sixth in overall field goals percentage (.504) and fourth in free-throw percentage (.847). He has scored in double figures in 30 of Duke’s 31 game, eclipsing the 20-point mark a team-high 16 times and registering three games of 30-or-more points.

 

Wake Forest’s Collins leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.623), ranks third among conference scorers with 19.1 points per game and is second in rebounding with 9.8 per contest. After averaging 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds while starting one game as a freshman in 2015-16, Collins is a major reason the Demon Deacons (18-12) enter this year’s New York Life ACC Tournament on a high note and with a strong case for NCAA Tournament consideration. The West Palm Beach, Florida, sophomore has been a model of consistency, scoring 20-or-more points in 12 consecutive games late in the season – tops in the ACC this year and the most at Wake Forest in more than four decades. He has posted double-doubles in 15 games.

 

Notre Dame’s Colson leads all ACC players with 18 double-doubles this season, including 10 in conference play. The 6-foot-5 junior from New Bedford, Massachusetts, leads the league in rebounding at 10.4 per game and is the 10th leading scorer at 17.0 points per game. In leading the Fighting Irish to a 23-8 overall mark and a No. 3 ACC Tournament seed, Colson has posted seven 20-point, 10-rebound performances this year. All seven of those performances have come against Power 5 conference teams, including four ACC opponents.

 

Louisville’s Mitchell averages 15.9 points per game while leading the ACC in steals with 2.13 per outing, and the sophomore has been at his best during the stretch run of the regular season. Over the last 18 games, Mitchell is averaging 19.2 points per game and has made 55-of-132 3-point field goal attempts (.417). He has scored in double figures 23 times this season. The Greenwich, Connecticut, native has scored at least 16 points in 10 of his last 11 games and has nine 20-point games this season.

 

After being overwhelmingly chosen as the ACC preseason Freshman of the Year by the league’s media members last October, NC State’s Smith met expectations by ranking fifth among ACC scorers with 18.5 points per game and leading the league in assists with 6.3 per contest. Smith has also registered 60 steals in 31 games (1.94 per game), second among ACC players in that category. The Fayetteville, North Carolina, native became the only player in conference history to register two triple-doubles in the same season and has scored at least 30 points in an ACC-best four games.

 

Smith is joined on the All-ACC second team by Florida State’s Dwayne Bacon (16.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Georgia Tech’s Lammers (14.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg), North Carolina’s Joel Berry II (15.1 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Virginia’s London Perrantes (12.8 ppg, 3.9 apg).

 

Pitt’s Michael Young (19.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame (17.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg), Syracuse’s Andrew White III (17.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Miami’s Davon Reed (15.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Duke’s Jayson Tatum (16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) comprise the All-ACC third team.

 

Georgia Tech’s Pastner, who won 167 games in his seven seasons at head coach at Memphis, was chosen the ACC Coach of the Year in his first year with the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech began the season having lost its top four scorers from the last season’s squad that tied for 11th place in the ACC and was tabbed for a next-to-last finish in the league’s preseason media poll. Instead, Pastner’s team will open play in the ACC Tournament on Tuesday following a 17-win regular season that includes victories over nationally-ranked conference opponents North Carolina, Florida State and Notre Dame.

 

Virginia Tech’s Allen has come off the bench in 24 of the 29 games in which he has appeared, averaging 13.1 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds while playing close to 29 minutes per contest. The redshirt senior from Woodbridge, Virginia, has scored in double-figures 21 times and enters the New York Life ACC Tournament with 20-or-more points in three of his last seven games. Allen played pivotal roles in both Virginia Tech’s one-point wins over Clemson with a big steal and a 3-pointer in the final 1:31 in a road win Jan. 22 and the game-winning shot with 3.8 seconds left at Blacksburg on Feb. 21.

 

Georgia Tech’s Lammers leads the ACC and ranks third nationally with 3.32 blocked shots per game (103 in 31 games). The 6-foot-10 native of San Antonio, Texas, is third among ACC rebounders, with over two-thirds of his 284 total rebounds coming at the defensive end. Lammers has also been a reliable inside defender for the Yellow Jackets, who have limited their opponents to a collective .398 shooting percentage from the floor and 67 points per game.

 

NC State’s Smith and Duke’s Tatum are joined on the All-ACC Freshman Team by Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac (12.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie (15.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Boston College’s Ky Bowman (14.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg).

 

Virginia’s Isaiah Wilkins, Louisville’s Mitchell, Miami’s Reed, Florida State’s Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Duke’s Matt Jones join Georgia Tech’s Lammers on the 2016-17 All-ACC Defensive Team.

 

2016-17 All-ACC Teams, Honors

 

All-Atlantic Coast Conference

(5 points per 1st team vote, 3 points per 2nd team vote, 1 point per 3rd team vote)

 

FIRST TEAM                   School                      Points

Luke Kennard                   Duke                             *265

Justin Jackson                  North Carolina              256

John Collins                      Wake Forest                  255

Bonzie Colson                  Notre Dame                   253

Donovan Mitchell           Louisville                      231

 

SECOND TEAM                                                              

Dwayne Bacon                 Florida State                  141

Dennis Smith Jr.              NC State                          126

Ben Lammers                   Georgia Tech                 109

Joel Berry II                      North Carolina              102

London Perrantes            Virginia                             90

 

THIRD TEAM                                                                 

Michael Young                 Pittsburgh                        85

Jaron Blossomgame       Clemson                           67

Andrew White III             Syracuse                           67

Davon Reed                      Miami                               66

Jayson Tatum                   Duke                                  51

 

ALL-HONORABLE MENTION (10-or-more points)

Kennedy Meeks               North Carolina                34

Matt Farrell                      Notre Dame                     25

Zach LeDay                       Virginia Tech                   24

Jerome Robinson            Boston College                23

Jonathan Isaac                  Florida State                    20

Seth Allen                          Virginia Tech                   18

Jamel Artis                        Pittsburgh                        17

V.J. Beachem                    Notre Dame                     12

Steve Vasturia                  Notre Dame                     11

Tyler Lydon                     Syracuse                           10

 

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM                                                  

Ben Lammers                   Georgia Tech                   50

Isaiah Wilkins                 Virginia                             41

Donovan Mitchell           Louisville                         39

Davon Reed                      Miami                               25

Xavier Rathan-Mayes     Florida State                    19

Matt Jones                         Duke                                  19

 

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM                                                  

Dennis Smith                   NC State                            51

Jonathan Isaac                  Florida State                    51

Jayson Tatum                   Duke                                  50

Josh Okogie                      Georgia Tech                   49

Ky Bowman                      Boston College                32

 

ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR                                          

Justin Jackson                  North Carolina                24

John Collins                      Wake Forest                    15

Bonzie Colson                  Notre Dame                        8

Luke Kennard                   Duke                                    5

Donovan Mitchell           Louisville                           1

 

ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR                                   

Dennis Smith                   NC State                            36

Jayson Tatum                   Duke                                    8

Josh Okogie                      Georgia Tech                      3

Ky Bowman                      Boston College                  3

Jonathan Isaac                  Florida State                       3

 

ACC COACH OF THE YEAR                                             

Josh Pastner                     Georgia Tech                   24

Roy Williams                   North Carolina                   8

Mike Brey                         Notre Dame                        7

Leonard Hamilton           Florida State                       4

Danny Manning               Wake Forest                       3

Buzz Williams                 Virginia Tech                     3

Jim Larrañaga                   Miami                                  2

Rick Pitino                        Louisville                           2

 

ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR                  

Ben Lammers                   Georgia Tech                   37

Isaiah Wilkins                 Virginia                               6

Kamari Murphy               Miami                                  4

Matt Jones                         Duke                                    3

Xavier Rathan-Mayes     Florida State                       1

Dennis Smith                   NC State                               1

Steve Vasturia                  Notre Dame                        1

 

ACC MOST IMPROVED                                               

John Collins                      Wake Forest                    26

Ben Lammers                   Georgia Tech                   15

Matt Farrell                      Notre Dame                        9

Justin Jackson                  North Carolina                   1

Luke Kennard                   Duke                                    1

Donovan Mitchell           Louisville                           1

 

ACC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR                                   

Seth Allen                          Virginia Tech                   43

Tadric Jackson                 Georgia Tech                      4

Frank Jackson                  Duke                                    3

Marcquise Reed               Clemson                              2

Markell Johnson              NC State                               1

 

*Denotes unanimous

 

VGCC honors sophomore Vanguard basketball players

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team honored their departing sophomores on Feb. 17 at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. The result of the “Sophomore Night” game was a narrow 98-93 loss for the home team to Patrick Henry Community College. The hard-fought contest marked the last home game of the regular season for the Vanguards.

At halftime, VGCC head coach DeMarcus Oliver recognized four players completing their second and final seasons on the team — forward Antonio Adams of Oxford (a J.F. Webb High School graduate), guard Michael Henderson of Henderson (Northern Vance High School), guard Chris Pernell of Raleigh (East Wake High School), and point guard and Team Captain TyQuon Reid of Goldsboro (Durham Hillside High School).

Two of those sophomores, Reid and Pernell, led their team in scoring, with 26 and 25 points, respectively. Freshman NiQuan Cousins was not far behind, putting up 23 points while leading the Vanguards in both rebounds (17) and blocks (3). Reid also contributed 7 assists, and Pernell recorded 5 rebounds. Henderson posted 12 points. Adams had 3 points and 3 rebounds.

Pernell had been on a hot shooting streak going into the Patrick Henry game. On Feb. 9, he led the Vanguards in scoring, with 27 points, helping VGCC defeat Fayetteville Tech Community College at home, 96-93. In that game, Cousins was second in scoring (17 points) while Kenneth Finley, Jr., was third (16). Cousins led in rebounding, with 17.

Pernell was also the top scorer in the Vanguards’ 96-76 loss on Feb. 15 to Catawba Valley Community College. He put up 28 points that night, while also contributing 5 rebounds. Cousins recorded 18 points and 15 rebounds.

On Feb. 22, VGCC lost on the road to nationally-ranked Richard Bland College, 101-71. Cousins had the most points (24) and rebounds (14). Reid added 17 points and 7 assists. Pernell scored 11 points.

VGCC will compete in the NJCAA Division II Region X conference tournament, which starts March 4 at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Virginia.

–VGCC–

H-V Recreation and Parks Department to hold Coaches Meetings

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February 6, 2017

To youth league baseball/softball coaches,

This is to inform you about the youth baseball/softball coaches meetings.  These meetings will take place at the Aycock Recreation Complex in the meeting room which is located on the second floor of the Baseball/Softball Concession Building.  These meetings are scheduled for the following dates and times:

  1. All Softball Leagues (8U/10U/12/U/16/U/18U) Monday, February 13 at 6:30pm
  2. Minor/Major/Junior/Senior Baseball Leagues Thursday, February 16 at 6:30pm
  3. Rookie Baseball League/T-Ball Co-Rec. League Monday, February 20 at 6:30pm

At these meetings we will distribute last year’s rosters so that you can call all of your players to remind them about registration.  Rules will be discussed, skill evaluation times, start of practice dates, and the start of the regular season dates.  At this meeting we will get you to fill out information that will be used to perform a background check.

You must be present at this meeting in order to reserve your team.  If for some reason you are not there, you must let us know by the day of your scheduled meeting.  If we do not hear from you and you are not at the meeting, someone else may be assigned your coaching spot.

If you are planning to coach please call me at 438-2670 or email: sosborne@ci.henderson.nc.us to let me know which league and team you are interested in coaching.  Please remember that a coach who coached last year has first priority for his/her team again this year.  Second priority goes to any assistant coaches of that team, third priority goes to coaches who are moving up or down, and last priority goes to newcomers.  You must also fill out a coach’s application and coach’s code of conduct even though you coached last year.  These are included with this letter.  If you have any questions please call me.

Thank you for your time.

 

Steven W. Osborne

HVRPD Program Superintendent 

Crossroads Christian School Names January Athlete of the Month

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Congratulations to Noah Brantley, our January Athlete of the Month! The son of Patrick and Christy Brantley of Henderson, he is an 8th grader who excels both on and off the court. Noah is one of the nicest young men you will ever meet. He exemplifies what it means to be a stellar student athlete.

Noah is having a phenomenal year on the MS basketball team and is averaging double figures with respect to both points and rebounds. More impressive than this, however, is Noah’s character. He treats people with dignity, respect and kindness. He sets a great example for all those around him.
Our January Athlete of the Month goes to a great athlete (basketball and soccer) and a great young man: Mr. Noah Brantley!
— Athletic Director, Jamie Parker

VGCC Vanguards win another game on the road

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Ten days after defeating the University of North Carolina junior varsity team in Chapel Hill, the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team picked up another road victory, this time in Hampton, Va., over Thomas Nelson Community College, 94-83, on Jan. 28.

Sophomore sensation TyQuon Reid had a standout performance for the Vanguards, with 36 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Reid was ranked in the top five nationwide in points per game, free throw shooting and steals, as of Jan. 31.

VGCC freshman NiQuan Cousins led his team in rebounds (16) and blocks (6) while also contributing 18 points, 3 assists and 1 steal. As of Jan. 31, Cousins was leading the nation in rebounds per game and in total rebounds.

Michael Henderson, a sophomore, put up 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in one of his best games this season.

Freshman Jaylen Jones was second in rebounding for VGCC (11) while also posting 5 points, 4 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks.

Stats for other Vanguards were as follows: Antonio Adams had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal; Chris Pernell had 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist; Kenneth Finley, Jr., had 3 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist; Isaiah McCaffity had 3 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal; Darius Buford had 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist; and Mitch Beck had 3 rebounds and 1 steal.

After some more road trips, the Vanguards return home on Thursday, Feb. 9, hosting Fayetteville Tech Community College at 7 p.m. at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. Admission is free.

–VGCC–

VGCC Vanguards upset JV Tar Heels with 106-100 victory

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team achieved one of the most stunning upsets in program history on Jan. 18, defeating the University of North Carolina junior varsity team by a score of 106-100 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

This was VGCC’s second trip to Chapel Hill and the team’s first win over the JV Tar Heels, who were undefeated this season before the contest.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM provided live coverage of the game, just as in the first meeting of the two programs in 2016. “In what was going to be an incredible experience in and of itself for the VGCC Vanguards, they came out more ready to play than the Tar Heels,” reflected Kevin Bullock, who called the game for WIZS. “The Vance-Granville locker room was electric before the game, while the UNC JV locker room was all but silent.”

The Vanguards got off to a strong start, trading leads with the Tar Heels and settling on a 51-51 tie at the half. The back-and-forth continued through the second half toward a nail-biter of a conclusion. After taking a five-point lead and then falling behind by as many as five in the second half, the Vanguards fought back to tie the Heels with two minutes to go.

With 20 seconds left on the clock, the Vanguards pulled away from a 100-100 tie and never looked back, making four straight free throws to seal the victory.

Key to VGCC’s win was a balanced offense that featured six players scoring in double figures: NiQuan Cousins (30 points), TyQuon Reid (22), Chris Pernell (16), Jaylen Jones (11), Calvin Malik Manley (11) and Kenneth Finley, Jr. (10). Cousins was also the Vanguards’ leading rebounder (14). He leads the nation in rebounds per game (14.5) for NJCAA Division II. Cousins recorded three assists and three blocks, as well. Manley contributed seven rebounds to the winning effort. Jones led in steals (4).

The Tar Heels were led in scoring by Lucas Bouknight of Greensboro, with 21 points. An article in the student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, concluded that the JV “basketball team wasn’t just outplayed — UNC was outworked.” The article quoted Hubert Davis, the former Tar Heel guard and 12-year NBA veteran who coaches the JV squad, as saying, “Congratulations to Vance-Granville Community College. They earned it….I just felt like the entire game they were the tougher team. They were the team that worked the hardest, that wanted it more.”

Bullock, the WIZS sportscaster, concluded that “Carolina was hampered by poor free throw shooting and live ball turnovers. Vance-Granville was able to capitalize on those opportunities and shot the ball better than they had all season. It was the UNC JV team’s fourth game in nine days, which allowed the Vanguards to get out and run on Carolina and wear them down in the second half. NiQuan Cousins, Jaylen Jones, TyQuon Reid and the rest of the Vanguards will never forget the day they went to Chapel Hill and beat the Tar Heels.”

VGCC’s next home game is set for Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m., when the Vanguards face a conference opponent, Guilford Tech Community College, at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. Admission is free.

 

VGCC Vanguards to play JV Tar Heels at Dean Dome

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For the second year in a row, the Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team will soon travel to the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill to face the University of North Carolina Tar Heels junior varsity team.

The JV game is set for Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM will once again provide live coverage of the game starting at 7:15 p.m. Even for those outside the range of the radio station, the broadcast can be streamed online at wizs.com or on a smart phone with the free “TuneIn Radio” app. When WIZS covered the first contest between the two basketball programs in 2016, it was the first time in history that a UNC JV basketball game had been broadcast live on the radio.

The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes 11 two-year colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

The UNC JV squad has several community college teams on its schedule this year, including one of VGCC’s Region X conference rivals, Wake Tech Community College.

Admission is free to the UNC JV game. For more information, call the Smith Center at (919) 962-2296.

Krzyzewski Undergoes Successful Lower Back Surgery

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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski underwent successful lower back surgery on Friday, Jan. 6, to remove a fragment of a herniated disc.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke University Hospital. The anticipated recovery time for Krzyzewski is up to four weeks.

“Surgery went exactly as planned,” said Friedman. “Coach is in terrific physical shape and we expect a full recovery.”

Krzyzewski has won a Division I men’s basketball record 1,056 games in 41-plus seasons as a college head coach, owning a 1,056-323 overall record and a 983-264 mark in 36-plus seasons at Duke. He has led Duke to five NCAA championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015), the second-most national titles by a coach in NCAA history.

Krzyzewski guided the United States National Team to an 88-1 record and seven total medals (six gold) as head coach from 2005-16. He is a seven-time USA Basketball National Coach of the Year and the only coach – men’s or women’s – to lead a country to three consecutive Olympic basketball gold medals.

Krzyzewski was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

#GoDuke

Cory Walton

Senior Associate Sports Information Director

Duke Athletics