VGCC Vanguards defeat Wake Tech on the road
The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team celebrated a big conference victory Monday night (Feb. 9), as they defeated nearby rival Wake Technical Community College, 92-71, in Raleigh.
The Vanguards led the Eagles for most of the first half, but Wake Tech narrowed the margin to 36-35 as the halftime buzzer sounded. The second half started off close, but VGCC soon pulled away and never looked back. The win was VGCC’s first over Wake Tech since a two-point Vanguard victory in Henderson on Dec. 2, 2009, when the two programs first met. Earlier this season, the Eagles beat the Vanguards, 94-78, in Henderson.
Leading the Vanguards to victory were Tyrek Beverly of Oxford, with 22 points, and Raekwon Hall of Raleigh, with 21 points. Khadier Fulcher of Oxford contributed 14 points as well. Fulcher and Hall put up nine rebounds each, to lead in that category. Hall also provided 11 assists, far more than any other Vanguard recorded. As a team, VGCC shot 47.9% from the floor, 41.2% from beyond the arc and 78.9% from the free throw line.
Including the Wake Tech game, the Vanguards have won three of their last six but suffered three recent losses. On Feb. 2, the VGCC squad traveled to Petersburg, Va., to face Richard Bland College, then ranked fourth in the country in NJCAA Division II. VGCC lost the contest, 94-59. The Statesmen, who are undefeated at home, improved to 20-3 with the win. Fulcher led the Vanguards in scoring, with 19 points. Jordan Bunting of Rocky Mount added 10 points and had a team-high eight rebounds.
The Vanguards returned home to host another tough conference opponent, Patrick Henry Community College, on Feb. 4. The result was a 74-65 victory for the Patriots. Four Vanguard players scored in double figures. Fulcher once again led the team with 15 points, followed by Beverly (12), Hall (11) and Antonio Murphy of Fayetteville (11). Murphy was also the team’s top rebounder, with seven.
VGCC hit the road again on Feb. 7 to play Bryant & Stratton College at Maury High School in Norfolk, Va. The BSC Bobcats, then ranked 16th in the country, won by a lopsided 72-54 margin. Beverly had 22 points to lead the Vanguards. Bunting had a team-high 10 rebounds as well as seven points.
The Vanguards are now 5-15 on the season and 3-13 in conference play. Last year, VGCC only notched one conference win. Four conference and one non-conference game remain in this season. Upcoming home games will see the Vanguards host Pitt Community College on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m., Catawba Valley Community College on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., and Lenoir Community College on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. VGCC plays home games at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson, and there is no charge for admission.
Above: Raekwon Hall of Raleigh, a product of Wakefield High School, came close to a triple-double (21 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds) in a standout performance as the Vanguards overpowered the Wake Tech Eagles on Feb. 9. (VGCC photo)
