Lenoir Community College recognized five players on Sophomore Night on Wednesday. They were, from left, Nick Brannock, Darius Dunn, Pehbion Joyner, Eric Agee and Kristian Williams. Photo by Linda Whittington / Neuse News

In the final game of the regular season, the Lenoir Community College men’s basketball team honored its quintet of sophomore men’s basketball players.

Eric Agee, Nick Brannock, Darius Dunn, Pehbion Joyner and Kristian Williams were recognized during the Lancers’ annual Sophomore Night Wednesday before their contest against Vance-Granville Community College. LCC coach Chris Brown said the five players had great value on and off the court for the team.

“For the most part, they’ve been a pleasure to be around,” Brown said. “They’ve also been great in the classroom, showcasing the importance of the student-athlete portion.”

On the court, LCC finished the regular season 7-21, including a 97-89 defeat Wednesday to the Vanguards. Dunn said the season was a learning experience and something he will rectify in the future.

“This was a rough season, but we learned how to work harder behind closed doors and prepare better throughout,” Dunn said.

Agee said the players will bounce back.

“We learned a lot from this season and the guys coming back will build,” Agee said. “We’ll look to cut the mistakes we made moving forward.”

Brannock said having a strong attitude on and off the court is essential.

“It’s all about working hard and staying even-keel — not getting too high or low about things,” Brannock said. “There’s a lot of studying we do in the classroom, making sure we keep our grades up.”

Joyner said the process is always essential.

“No matter what we go through, we have to stay positive and finish what we started,” Joyner said.

Williams said he doesn’t want to emulate 2018-19 and will work even harder.

“It was a learning experience throughout the season and I’ll make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” Williams said.

The Lancers will participate in the Region X Tournament, which begins March 4.