VGCC Vanguards play in tourney as Raymond Dunn named regional Player of the Year
The Vance-Granville Community College men’s basketball team competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II, Region X tournament, held March 5-7 at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth. When the team took the court on March 5, it was their first game since the tragic death of Vanguards star forward Raymond Dunn on Feb. 20. Immediately prior to the game, an on-court ceremony was held at which Dunn was honored as Player of the Year for Division II, Region X. Members of the player’s family were on hand for the presentation, in addition to VGCC President Randy Parker and Director of Student Activities and Athletics Jasmine Hightower. Following a moment of silence, Dunn’s Player of the Year plaque was presented to his family by Dean Myrick, the Region X director and Athletic Director for Rockingham Community College, and RCC President Robert C. Keys. Also at the tournament, VGCC center Ric Yarbrough of Franklinton was named third team All-Region.
The Vanguards, seeded fifth among the ten teams in the conference tournament, defeated the fourth-seed Patriots of Patrick Henry Community College 83-82 in the first round on March 5. With only seconds left in the game and VGCC down by one point, Vanguards forward L.C. Hester of Oxford tipped in the winning basket off a rebound at the buzzer.
The win advanced VGCC to the semi-finals the next day, in which they lost to nationally-ranked Guilford Technical Community College by a score of 83-57. The Vanguards had a similar performance in 2009, when they were also the fifth seed and were eliminated in the semi-finals. The Titans of Guilford Tech went on to lose the championship game on March 7 to the Louisburg College Hurricanes. Louisburg advances to the NJCAA Championship Tournament.
The conference tournament brought a close to the second season for VGCC’s basketball program at the NJCAA level. VGCC ended its abbreviated regular season with a record of 12-10 (9-5 in conference play).
With 512 points on the season prior to his final game, Raymond Dunn was the Vanguards’ leading scorer, ranked in the national top 10 in points, and was leading Division II nationwide in rebounds. In January, he was named NJCAA Division II Player of the Week after a series of performances that included scoring 52 points and making 30 rebounds in a single game. Dunn was the first player in the conference to receive such an honor this season, and the first Vanguard ever named Player of the Week.
Above: From left, VGCC Director of Student Activities and Athletics Jasmine Hightower, President Randy Parker and members of Raymond Dunn’s family, including fiancée Schania Gales, grandmother Edna Charles, step-father Richard Steed and mother Brenda Harris Steed, listen as Dunn’s Player of the Year award is presented by Dean Myrick, the Region X director and Athletic Director for Rockingham Community College, and RCC President Robert C. Keys. (VGCC photo)
