Gators can't hang on vs. Gaston College

Virginia Peninsula led much of the game against Gaston College (Dallas, N.C.) on Dec. 18, before falling 79-75. D'Cameron Haynes (Munford HS/Memphis, Tenn.) had 22 points, Keshaun Johnson (Nansemond River High School/Suffolk) added 18, and Chris Cyrus (Hampton Christian Academy/Newport News) scored 10 for the Gators.

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 made 22 for 27 free throws, including 3 of 4 in the final minute.

For more information on VPCC, visit www.vpcc.edu.