VGCC Vanguards complete first month of basketball season

The Vance-Granville Community College men’s basketball team is 0-5 to start the 2013-2014 season (the first under new head coach Michael Woody), getting straight to work on a tough schedule in November.

 

On Nov. 6, the VGCC Vanguards opened the regular season at home by hosting the Eagles from Wake Technical Community College. The visiting squad won by a score of 109-67. The Vanguards were led in scoring by Darrin Fowler-Rice of Durham, with 21 points, followed by Jarrett Ballard of Henderson, with 14 points. Ronald Evans of Durham was VGCC’s top rebounder, with 10. Ballard also contributed 8 rebounds.

 

Next, VGCC welcomed the Force from Southside Virginia Community College to Henderson on Nov. 9. This game proved much closer than the first, but SVCC came away with the win, 85-81. Fowler-Rice again scored the most points for VGCC (21), tied with Christian Creswell of Henderson for the most rebounds (11 apiece), and added 5 assists and 5 steals. Ballard posted 18 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists.

 

On Nov. 13, the Vanguards traveled to take on the Pitt Community College Bulldogs in Winterville but lost to the home team, 115-69. The top Vanguard in scoring was Creswell, who put up 23 points, while also posting the most rebounds (12) and making 4 steals. Alex Gonzalez of Raleigh scored 13 points. Evans and Trevion Wilkerson of Oxford contributed 9 points and 3 rebounds each. Ballard had the second-highest rebound figure (9) while also making 7 assists.

 

VGCC returned home to host Catawba Valley Community College in Henderson on Nov. 23. The Buccaneers defeated the Vanguards, 86-49. Creswell was the leading scorer for the team, with 17 points, and the leading rebounder (12). Ballard added 14 points, and he and Fowler-Rice contributed 10 rebounds apiece.

 

Traveling to the Norfolk, Va. area two days later, the Vanguards fell to Bryant & Stratton College by a score of 91-71. Ballard was dominant in scoring, putting up 29 points, while he also made 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Creswell had 13 points and 16 rebounds.

 

Despite the losses, Coach Woody praised his players for their efforts, saying “there is absolutely no ‘quit’ in these young men!”