Tag Archive for: #VGCCBasketball

VGCC holds Banquet to honor Student-Athletes

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Vance-Granville Community College celebrated Vanguard student-athletes at its annual Athletics Banquet, held on March 31 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.

VGCC Coordinator of Student Activities & Athletics Jermiel Hargrove started the event by praising the students for their hard work, both on the court and in the classroom. He noted that the VGCC athletics program is growing, with the 2016 addition of the “Vanguard Spirit” cheerleading squad, while the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams have celebrated historic successes.

Serving as guest speaker for the event was Carlos Fields, a football standout at Northern Vance High School and Winston-Salem State University who is currently a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers. Fields spoke about his “idol,” his mother, Sheila Kearney, who was also an outstanding student-athlete and became an educator. “She motivated me to be a great athlete, but most of all, to give back to my community,” he said. Fields plans to go into coaching and teaching once his professional playing days come to an end. To the VGCC athletes, he emphasized the importance of character, “being coachable,” and working hard “while you wait to get your opportunity to excel.”

Hargrove started the presentations of awards by recognizing VGCC women’s volleyball players. He presented the award for Most Valuable Player to Kiyanna Kearney of Henderson, the Team Captain award to Jesse Edwards of Henderson and co-Freshman of the Year awards to Stormi Abernathy of Yanceyville and Hannah Arneth of Oxford.

Other volleyball team members recognized included Nicole Bowman of Oxford, Allyson Cash of Grassy Creek, Ashley Parker of Henderson, Katelynn Ray of Henderson, Madison Waddle of Kittrell and Hanna Williams of Oxford, along with assistant coach Rachel Thomas, a former VGCC student-athlete.

VGCC staff member Tina Ragland, who coaches the cheerleading squad, presented the Most Valuable Cheerleader Award to Latessa Wilkerson of Henderson, the Most Spirited Cheerleader award to Seniqua Turner of Henderson and the Most Versatile Cheerleader award to Stackia Burwell of Henderson.

Other cheerleaders recognized included Anaya Brown of Henderson, Sequoyah Jones of Oxford, Latia Thomas of Henderson, Chiatyra Turner of Ebony, Va., and Kaela Williams of Henderson.

Vanguards men’s basketball head coach DeMarcus Oliver presented awards to members of his team. He named TyQuon Reid of Goldsboro as MVP, Christopher Pernell of Raleigh as Teammate of the Year, and NiQuan Cousins of Raleigh as Freshman of the Year. In a first for the program, the coach also presented commemorative basketballs to Reid, for scoring the 1,000th point of his VGCC career on Feb. 22 and to Pernell for scoring his 100th career three-pointer on Feb. 9. Both set new records for the Vanguards program, the coach noted.

Other basketball players recognized included Antonio Adams of Raleigh, William Beck of Raleigh, Darius Buford of Cary, Kenneth Finley, Jr., of Raleigh, Lynn Henderson of Henderson, Jaylen Jones of Warrenton, Calvin Manley of Louisburg and Thomas McCaffity of Warrenton, along with assistant coach William Clements and team manager Mycal Elam, another former VGCC student-athlete.

Hargrove also recognized four students for their service as support staff for the VGCC athletics program this year: Micah Roberts of Stem, Daniel Reece of Henderson, Alana Towles of Oxford and Angelique Taylor of Macon.

In closing remarks, Stacey Carter-Coley, VGCC’s vice president of employee and public relations, congratulated the student-athletes on the past year and thanked their family members for their support.

Current or prospective students interested in participating in VGCC athletics during the 2017-18 year should contact Jermiel Hargrove at hargrovej@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3246.

–VGCC–

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–

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–

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 announces 2016-17 Vanguards Basketball schedule

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team is scheduled to play at least 28 games during the 2016-2017 season, including 11 home games. This is the program’s first season under the leadership of head coach DeMarcus Oliver.

 

DATE TIME OPPONENT LOCATION
Saturday, Nov. 5 4:30 pm Davidson County Comm. College Thomasville, NC
Monday, Nov. 7 6:00 pm Bryant & Stratton College HOME
Friday, Nov. 11 TBD Caldwell Comm. College & Tech Institute (Louisburg Invitational Tournament) Louisburg, NC
Saturday, Nov. 12 TBD Northern Virginia Comm. College (Louisburg Invitational Tournament) Louisburg, NC
Monday, Nov. 14 7:00 pm Wake Tech Comm. College (VGCC Vanguard Night) HOME
Wednesday, Nov. 16 6:00 pm Patrick Henry Comm. College Martinsville, VA
Monday, Nov. 21 7:00 pm Fayetteville Tech Comm. College Fayetteville, NC
Monday, Dec. 5 7:00 pm Pitt Comm. College Greenville, NC
Wednesday, Dec. 7 7:00 pm Lenoir Comm. College Kinston, NC
Saturday, Dec. 10 2:00 pm Thomas Nelson Comm. College HOME
Monday, Dec. 12 7:00 pm Louisburg College Louisburg, NC
Wednesday, Dec. 14 6:00 pm Richard Bland College HOME
Saturday, Dec. 17 1:00 pm Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC
Thursday, Jan. 5 7:00 pm Louisburg College HOME
Monday, Jan. 9 8:00 pm Wake Tech Comm. College Raleigh, NC
Saturday, Jan. 14 3:00 pm Bryant & Stratton College Norfolk, VA
Wednesday, Jan. 18 7:30 pm UNC Chapel Hill JV  (Scrimmage) Chapel Hill, NC
Thursday, Jan. 19 7:00 pm Patrick Henry Comm. College HOME
Saturday, Jan. 21 3:00 pm Guilford Tech Comm. College HOME
Monday, Jan. 23 7:00 pm Pitt Comm. College HOME
Wednesday, Jan. 25 7:00 pm Catawba Valley Comm. College Hickory, NC
Saturday, Jan. 28 4:00 pm Thomas Nelson Comm. College Hampton, VA
Monday, Feb. 6 5:00 pm Lenoir Comm. College Louisburg, NC
Thursday, Feb. 9 7:00 pm Fayetteville Tech Comm. College HOME
Monday, Feb. 13 6:00 pm Sandhills Comm. College HOME
Wednesday, Feb. 15 7:00 pm Catawba Valley Comm. College (VGCC Sophomore Night) HOME
Wednesday, Feb. 22 7:00 pm Richard Bland College Petersburg, VA
Saturday, Feb. 25 3:00 pm Guilford Tech Comm. College Jamestown, NC
Saturday, Mar. 4 TBD Region X Conference Tournament 1st Round Petersburg, VA
Sunday, Mar. 5 TBD Region X Conference Tournament Quarter-Finals Petersburg, VA
Friday, Mar. 10 TBD Region X Conference Tournament Semi-Finals Pinehurst, NC
Saturday, Mar. 11 TBD Region X Conference Championship Pinehurst, NC
Tuesday, Mar. 21 – Saturday, Mar. 25 TBD NJCAA Division II National Tournament Danville, IL

 

Bold = Home Game, to be played at Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Rd., Henderson, N.C.

Schedule is subject to change.

 

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.

For VGCC, the regular season starts with an away game at Davidson County Community College on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Vanguards’ first opponent at home will be Bryant & Stratton College, on Monday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. All of VGCC’s home games are scheduled to be played at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. There is no charge for admission.

The second home game, on Monday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., will be the annual “Vanguard Night” game. VGCC will host Wake Tech Community College in that contest, which features special activities and attracts a large crowd of current students, faculty and staff.

For the second year in a row, VGCC will travel to the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill to play the UNC Tar Heels JV squad. That scrimmage is scheduled to take place Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

The Vanguards are set to celebrate “Sophomore Night” at the final home game, on Feb. 15. The regular season is scheduled to conclude on Feb. 25, with VGCC’s final scheduled game on the road at Guilford Tech Community College. After the regular season ends, the Vanguards are scheduled to participate in the NJCAA Division II Region X tournament. The first two rounds of the tournament are to be played at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Va., on March 4-5. The semifinals and finals will follow at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, on March 10-11.

VGCC names new coordinator for Student Activities & Athletics

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Jermiel Hargrove has been named the coordinator of student activities and athletics at Vance-Granville Community College.

Hargrove will oversee clubs, organizations and extracurricular activities that engage students on campus, as well as the college’s intercollegiate athletics program, which includes men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and a new cheerleading squad. He will also serve as the advisor for the VGCC Student Government Association (SGA).

A resident of Henderson, Hargrove has been a member of the VGCC staff since 2006, serving as webmaster and digital media specialist. He is a graduate of Northern Vance High School and of VGCC, where he earned a degree in Web Technologies.

Hargrove has also served as head coach for the Northern Granville Middle School girls’ basketball team, guiding them to a conference championship. He noted that he has focused on preparing his players to advance to high school-level athletics, and was pleased that 90% of them made the A/B honor roll. Earlier this year, Hargrove also served as interim assistant coach for the VGCC Vanguards men’s basketball team and assisted with the college athletics program for several months on an interim basis before assuming his new full-time role.

“Jermiel brings to his new position a deep understanding of VGCC as both a graduate and an employee of the college, along with a passion for working with young people,” VGCC Dean of Enrollment & Outreach Jeffrey Allen said. “Under his leadership, we will continue to develop student-athletes who succeed both on the court and in the classroom, while also providing enriching experiences and service opportunities for all of our Vanguards.”

VGCC Vanguards to play JV Tar Heels at Dean Dome

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For the first time, 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.

Playing against the prestigious program in one of college basketball’s most well-known arenas has been a longtime goal for VGCC head coach Michael Woody, now in his third season. The JV game is set for Saturday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. Later that day, the varsity Tar Heels will take on the N.C. State Wolfpack.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM will provide live coverage of the game starting at 8:45 a.m. Even for those outside the range of the radio station, the broadcast can be streamed online at wizs.com/listennow/ or on a smart phone with the free “TuneIn Radio” app.

The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes ten 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. The Tar Heels defeated the Wake Tech Eagles on Dec. 6 by a score of 83-73. Likewise, the Vanguards beat the Eagles by the same margin, 67-57, in VGCC’s season opener on Nov. 6.

VGCC is 1-1 versus the junior varsity squads from four-year schools so far this season. The Vanguards beat the University of Mount Olive JV team on Nov. 8, but lost to the St. Andrews University JV squad on Nov. 16.

Coincidentally, one of the stars of the UNC varsity team, junior Isaiah Hicks, is a former teammate of VGCC sophomore Tyrek Beverly from their days at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford.

Admission is free to the UNC JV game. Attendees must present a valid North Carolina driver’s license at Entry Gate “B” to enter. For more information, call the Smith Center at (919) 962-2296.