The Virginia Peninsula Community College men’s basketball team went into the holiday break on a winning note after defeating Monroe University of the Bronx 83-72 on Dec. 20.
Sincere Moore (Matoaca High School/Chesterfield) led the Gators with 21 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Asa Fehrenbach (Lafayette/Williamsburg) had 14 points and seven boards, Jayden Sepulveda (Landstown/Virginia Beach) scored 11 points, and Keshaun Johnson (Nansemond River High School/Suffolk) contributed 10 points, a game-high five blocks and five rebounds. Emmanuel Angila (Kempsville/Virginia Beach) added seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Gators fell behind 10-0 before going on a 13-2 run. They stretched their lead to 23-15, but the Express went ahead 38-36. The game was tied at 44 at the half. Fehrenbach (11) and Sepulveda (7) kept the Gators in the game in the first half by combining for 18 points. Fehrenbach’s first-half totals included three 3-pointers.
In the second half, the Gators used a 10-0 run for a 60-50 lead at the second media timeout. Fehrenbach and Moore added back-to-back 3-pointers for a 74-62 advantage with about five minutes left. The Express pulled within four but couldn’t get any closer.
For the game, the Gators went 8 for 25 from the 3-point line and the Express were 2 for 13. The Gators continued to struggle at the free throw line, making just 13 of 23 attempts. The Express, on the other hand, made 18 of 22 to stay in the game.
Against Gaston College (Dallas, N.C.) on Dec. 18, the Gators led much of the game before falling 79-75. D’Cameron Haynes (Munford HS/Memphis, Tenn.) had 22 points, Keshaun Johnson added 18, and Chris Cyrus (Hampton Christian Academy/Newport News) scored 10.
The first half featured back-and-forth action with the Gators taking a 23-16 lead only to see the Rhinos tie it at 27 with five minutes left in the half. The Gators were ahead 38-32 before a 3-pointer at the buzzer closed the gap to 38-35.
In the second half, the Rhinos tied it at 53, but the Gators responded by going on a 9-0 run for a 62-53 lead with 8:13 remaining. They stretched it to 68-57 about two minutes later before the visitors closed the game on a 22-7 run, taking the lead for good on a 3-point play with 1:10 left. In the final minute, the Gators committed three turnovers, missed a pair of 3-point shots and made just 1 of 4 free throws. For the game, the Gators were 12 of 23 from the line. Gaston was 22 for 27 at the line, including 3 of 4 in the final minute.
The Gators return to action Jan. 7 with a home game against the Washington Adventist junior varsity team. They follow that with six consecutive road games, including three conference matchups.
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