HAMPTON— The Virginia Peninsula Community College men’s basketball team went 3-0 last week to earn its first regular-season region championship as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
“It’s super special for us to be 19-6 and finish as the No.1 seed and also be ranked nationally,” said coach Chris Moore. “That’s a huge accomplishment, especially since it’s only our third season in the NJCAA. That’s just a testament not just to this team, but all the teams in the past because it’s been a building process.”
The Gators, ranked 14 in the latest NJCAA Division III poll, finished the regular season with a 19-6 record, including 8-1 in Region 10. They earned the top seed in next week’s postseason tournament at Sandhills Community College in North Carolina. The Gators have a first-round bye and will play either the No.4 or No. 5 seed at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. The championship is at 1 p.m. the following day, and the tournament winner advances to the district tournament Feb. 27-28 in Pennsylvania.
“Hopefully, we’ll be in the championship game on Sunday,” Moore said.
The Gators’ historic week started with an 87-80 win at Camp Community College on Feb. 11, followed by an 84-77 win at Patrick & Henry Community College two days later. They capped it off by defeating Tidewater Community College 78-58 on Feb. 15 at SafeHaven Empowerment Center in their home finale.
While the regular-season title is an NJCAA program first, the Gators won the 2022 New South Athletic Conference postseason tournament but weren’t in the NJCAA at the time. Prior to joining the NJCAA, the Gators won 13 VCCS titles.
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