Apprentice Defense Stifles Villa Maria for Second Consecutive National Title

BUFFALO, N.Y. – For the fourth time in program history, The Apprentice School men’s basketball team hoisted a national championship trophy after knocking off No. 3 Villa Maria Friday night 64-43.

The Builders held the Vikings to just eight points in the first half as they stormed out to a 33-8 halftime lead in front of the home crowd. The eight point half is the lowest ever in a title game, surpassing the previous mark set in since 2014 when Washington Adventist held Tennessee Temple to just 17 points in a half.

The Vikings put forth a fight to start the second half, going on an 8-0 run to cut the lead down to 33-16, but Apprentice never backed down, keeping Villa at bay all night and winning by the second largest margin in a title game since 2008.

With the win, the senior class of nine players will go out with back-to-back national championships, finishing their careers on top of the mountain of the USCAA.

Chris Hinmon was named to the All-Tournament team after leading all scorers Friday with 16 points off the bench. Donovan Means also earned All-Tournament honors with a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards in the championship game.

Adrion Wall was named Tournament MVP just days after being named the Division I Player of the Year. He finished Friday night with 14 points. Wayne Hedgepeth also had 14 points.

Head coach Michael Gainey becomes the first basketball alum to lead the Builders to a national championship, doing so in his first season at the helm.

This is the second time in program history that the Builders have gone back-to-back, winning their first two national championships in the 2001-02 and 02-03 seasons.

Story courtesy Apprentice Athletics; image courtesy Santino Tarquino/USCAA

Apprentice Cruises, MACU falls in National Quarterfinals

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Apprentice School men’s basketball team put up big numbers in the second half to advance to the USCAA semifinals with a 85-61 win over No. 5 Southeastern Illinois Tuesday night at Burt Flickinger Arena. Meanwhile, sixth-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian lost a hard-fought battle with No. 3 Villa Maria 60-55, ending the Mustang’s first appearance in the national tournament.

With the win, the Builders will take on No. 8 Berkeley in the semifinals Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Burt Flickinger Arena. The Knights knocked off top-seeded Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse, 81-68, in their quarterfinal.

Both teams came out firing in a back-and-forth affair, finding themselves tied up at 11-11 five minutes into the contest. The Builders tried to pull away, extending their lead to six, but the Falcons fought back to retake the lead at 23-20 with 6:54 to go in the first half. Apprentice answered with a 12-0 run to regain the advantage before SIC responded with five straight points to cut the lead back to 32-28. The Builders finished the half on a 6-2 run to take a 38-30 lead into intermission.

From there, the game was firmly in the hands of the defending national champs. After the start of the second half teetered around a 14 point lead for Apprentice, the Builders went on a 21-3 run to extend their lead to 70-40 midway through the second period. The Falcons never really caught any momentum from that point on as the Builders held the lead around the 20 point mark the remainder of the game to advance to the semifinals for a third consecutive season.

Adrion Wall, the Player of the Year for USCAA Division I, led all scorers with 19 points, coming up one rebound and three assists shy of a triple-double. He also added a block and two steals to his stat line without turning the ball over. Donovan Means added 13 points with seven boards while playing in foul trouble, and Wayne Hedgepeth came off the bench to add 12 points.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Apprentice, MACU Representing NSAC in Small College Tournament

BUFFALO, N.Y. – For the first time, the New South Athletic Conference has sent two teams to the USCAA Division I Small College National Tournament which begins tonight.

Apprentice, which received a fourth seed, will start its defense of the national championship against fifth-seeded Southeastern Illinois in the opening round Tuesday in Buffalo, New York. Apprentice is on the same side of the bracket as top-seeded Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse and eighth-seeded Berkeley.

Mid-Atlantic Christian is in the tournament for the first time in program history. The sixth-seeded Mustangs will take on No. 3 Villa Maria. Last year’s runner-up Lyon claimed the No. 2 seed and will take on seventh-seeded Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo. The Bobcats are co-hosting the event with Villa Maria. round.

Live video will be made available for every game of the tournament courtesy of the USCAA Sports Network on a pay-per-view basis. Live stats will also be available for every game.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Southeast Christian Names Walker as AD

LEESBURG, Fla. – Southeast Christian College has named Dwayne Walker as the school’s first athletic director effective immediately.

Walker served as the Eagles’ men’s basketball coach this season and will remain in that capacity as well.

“I’m so excited about what God has done here at SECC in year one,” Walker said. “I’m looking forward to pouring into our student athletes spiritually as well as guiding and assisting coaching staff as we show and point our student athletes to Jesus through athletics.”

Walker was the acting AD this first year and has already hired a mens’ soccer coach for 2025-26 and is currently searching for a women’s basketball coach and men’s JV basketball coach.

Image courtesy Southeast Christian College

Beacon College Welcomes Pat Burke as Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Director of Athletics 

LEESBURG, Fla. — Beacon College is thrilled to announce the appointment of Pat Burke, a distinguished former NBA player and community leader, as our new men’s head basketball coach and director of athletics, fitness, and recreation.

Burke brings extensive experience and a proven track record of success to the Leesburg school, the nation’s first accredited baccalaureate institution dedicated to educating students with learning and attention issues. His remarkable 12-year professional basketball career, which began with the Orlando Magic in 2002, saw him make history as the first Irish-born player in the National Basketball Association. His impressive career includes six championship titles across the NBA, FIBA leagues, and with Ireland’s senior men’s team.

“Pat brings a wealth of experience in education, mentorship, and athletics,” said Dana Manzo, vice president of student affairs. “Beyond his career in professional basketball, Pat has dedicated himself to mentoring and youth development. His passion for education, leadership, and community engagement makes him a fantastic addition to our team.”

Prior to joining Beacon, Burke founded HoopsLife, a youth development program focused on empowering children with leadership and life skills by emphasizing the impact of their choices. His commitment to mentorship aligns perfectly with Beacon’s mission to foster holistic student development.

Burke’s connection to Beacon College began a decade ago when he consulted with the college on the launch of a summer program for international students, culminating in a successful three-week program for Saudi students on Beacon’s campus in 2015.

“Pat’s prior contributions to our community and his proven ability to connect with and inspire young people are invaluable,” said Beacon President George Hagerty. “We are confident that his leadership will elevate our athletics program and provide our student-athletes with unparalleled opportunities for growth and success.”

Burke succeeds Sam Vincent, Beacon’s founding men’s basketball coach, who is leaving Beacon to pursue a position with the Basketball Africa League as reported by ESPN.  

Story and image courtesy Beacon College

Lighthouse Claims First NSAC Tourney Championship

MILTON, Fla. – Daniel Poole scored 22 points, 18 in the second half, as Lighthouse Christian pulled away for an 87-76 win over Mid-Atlantic Christian in the 2025 NSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Sunday afternoon.

MACU led the entire first half, by as many as 11 points, before Lighthouse closed the gap to 42-38 at halftime. But the second half belonged to the Makos, who took their first lead, 47-46, just over two minutes into the final stanza, a lead they would not relinquish.

Sam Benton, Jr. and Eddie Brown each added 17 for Lighthouse, followed by Wol Yak with 10.

Stewart Clough led the Mustangs with 19 points. Keith Shakes, Jr. chalked 14 points and 12 boards before picking up his fifth foul with a little more than seven minutes to play. Janus Shephard and Ty Williams also scored 14 apiece.

The championship ends the season for Lighthouse, a national independent, but Mid-Atlantic now awaits its fate in Monday’s USCAA National Championship Bid Show.

Lighthouse Advances to Title Game with 82-68 Win over Apprentice

MILTON, Fla. – Top-seed Lighthouse Christian downed 4th-seed Apprentice Saturday afternoon in the New South Athletic Conference semifinals 82-68.

The Builders jumped out to a 15-3 lead in the first 5:30 of the contest, but the Makos answered by holding Apprentice to just three points over the next eight minutes to claw back into the game. The game went back-and-forth throughout the remainder of the first half with Lighthouse holding a narrow 33-32 lead at the break.

The game continued to flip back and forth through much of the second half, but a 9-0 run for the Makos just past the 10:00 mark of the second half put the game in the home team’s hands as they ultimately held on for the win.

Sam Benton, Jr. led the Makos with 22 points. Adrion Wall led Apprentice with 22 points, while Donovan Means notched a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Lighthouse advances to the NSAC Championship game for the second consecutive year. The Makos face Mid-Atlantic Christian Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern/2:00 pm Central. The game will be streamed live on the JMU Mohawks Sports Network.

The Builders will now await their selection into the USCAA National Tournament to take place starting March 11 in Buffalo, New York. The bid show is set for Monday afternoon at 12:40 p.m. Eastern time on the USCAA Sports Network.

Thanks to Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics for this story.

MACU Outlasts JMCC 88-75 in NSAC Semis

MILTON, Fla. – Keith Shakes, Jr. scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Tyus Williams was right behind with 22 and 11 respectively, as 2nd-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian defeated 3rd-seed John Melvin (FL) 88-75 Saturday afternoon in the NSAC men’s basketball semifinals.

The Mustangs jumped out fast, running to a 46-30 halftime lead from which the Mohawks were never able to recover.

Josh Wyatt and Darion Ramos each carded 16 points to lead JMCC.

With the win, MACU advances to its first NSAC championship game since 2021 to face top-seed Lighthouse at 3:00 pm Eastern/2:00 pm Central time on Sunday. The game will be streamed live on the JMU Mohawks Sports Network.

Image courtesy MACU Athletics.

Seeds Hold in Quarterfinals, Semis Set for Today

MILTON, Fla. – The top four seeds in the 2025 NSAC Men’s Basketball Tournament held serve on Friday, leading to what promises to be an exciting pair of games today.

In Friday’s first matchup, 3rd-seed John Melvin (FL) held off 6th-seeded Atlantis 67-64. The Atlanteans had the ball with under five seconds to play but could not connect on a shot to tie.

Second-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian kept upset-minded Beacon at bay 88-83.

Apprentice, the 4th seed, cruised to a 102-71 victory over SC Central Christian in the day’s third game. The Builders set a new program record for rebounds in a game, pulling down 74.

In the nightcap, top-seeded Lighthouse Christian struggled with upstart Southeast Christian, the 9th seed, for most of the first half before pulling away for a 93-66 win.

That sets up Saturday’s bracket as the Mustangs and Mohawks will meet at 2:00 pm Eastern/1:00 pm Central, followed by the Makos and Builders in a rematch of last year’s championship. That game is set to tip off at 4:00 pm Eastern/3:00 pm Central. The winners will advance to meet for the title Sunday at 3:00 pm Eastern/2:00 pm Central time.

All games are being streamed live at Channel One – JMU-Mohawks

Southeast Opens Tourney with Win over JMU 77-63

MILTON, Fla. – Naysean Rhome poured in 20 points and Marvin Windom had 6 blocks as Southeast Christian knocked off John Melvin (LA) 77-63 in the first round of the 2025 NSAC men’s basketball tournament Thursday night.

JMU led 37-32 after a back-and-forth first half, but the Eagles pulled away after intermission as Rhome came alive with 18 of his points and Windom swatting four of his six blocks in the second half. SECC outscored the Millers 45-26 in the second stanza for the win.

JMU’s Tayshaun Colomb led all scorers with 22 points.

Southeast advances to meet top-seed Lighthouse Christian in the quarterfinals Friday night.