University of North Carolina Athletics
Vance Granville Downs JV, 106-100
January 26, 2017 | JV Men's Basketball
by Cassie Creech
CHAPEL HILL—The Vanguards of Vance Granville Community College handed the UNC JV team its first loss of the season Wednesday night. In their matchup last season, the Vanguards shot only 37 percent from the floor, and UNC won 119-69, but the high-energy team from Henderson came back for redemption this year. With just one minute left in the game, the score was tied at 100, and the Vanguards came out on top with a final score of 106-100.
“You could tell by the way [Vance Granville] played and by the way they celebrated towards the end that they really wanted this. When our guys put that jersey on that says 'North Carolina,' that's a big deal to these other teams.” Coach Davis said after the game. “Our offense was fine, but we can't win games without defense. I think we just got outplayed tonight.” Kane Ma, a third-year guard for UNC, agreed. “We just didn't come out with the energy we needed as a team. I think they seemed much more excited to be playing than we did.”
Vance Granville entered Wednesday night's game with a 1-14 record, but despite their rough start to the season, head coach DeMarcus Oliver said his team's performance came as no surprise. “Tonight we wanted to play more of an up-tempo offense and to make sure that we were playing with as much effort and passion that we could - we knew that's how Carolina plays.”
Fast paced games are typically a strength for Carolina, but Vance Granville was quicker to the boards, and their second-chance shots inevitably gave them the edge they needed to leave with a win. For many of these young athletes, playing in the Smith Center is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Coach Oliver said that's what made such a difference in the game for them. “Coming in, I told them I wanted them to play this game like it was the last game of their life. I believe most of them emptied their heart out on that floor tonight.”