VGCC Vanguards fall in conference tournament

The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team recently closed out a difficult season with a loss in the opening round of the conference tournament. On March 3, the Vanguards lost, 97-78, to Pasco-Hernando Community College (based in New Port Richey, Florida) in the Region X Division II tournament, held at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth. Louisburg College went on to win the tournament and advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship tournament.

VGCC head coach Avery Wilson has already begun recruiting and is looking forward to better days for the Vanguards program. Meanwhile, he bade farewell to sophomore guard Trentin Cozart of Oxford, who was just named to the All-Region X third team. Cozart was second in the conference in scoring this season. “He’s had a great Vanguard career,” Coach Wilson said, noting that he is the number-two scorer in the history of the VGCC program, and ranks first all-time in assists and three-pointers made. He also ended the regular season ranked in the national top 25 for Division II in two statistics: Steals (2.737 steals per game), and Three-point Field Goal Percentage (43%). Cozart helped his team to rank in the national top 25 for Team Three-point Field Goal Percentage. As a team, the Vanguards made 34% of shots from behind the arc.

Cozart led his team in scoring with 31 points and 23 points, respectively, in losses to Rockingham CC on Feb. 16 and Patrick Henry CC on Feb. 18. In the other late-season games, freshman Zach Beale of Franklinton was the top scorer in the Feb. 19 loss to Catawba Valley CC, with 19 points; freshman Ryan Branch of Louisburg put up 24 points in the loss to Johnston CC on Feb. 21; sophomore Derrick Knight of Bunn led his team with 18 points in a Feb. 23 loss to Lenoir CC; and Knight had 21 points in a losing effort against Pitt CC on Feb. 26. In the tournament game on March 3, Knight and Cozart contributed 28 points apiece.