Month: November 2023

Three NSAC Teams Receive National Rankings

The first basketball polls of the year are out in the USCAA, and the New South Conference is well represented as the Apprentice men’s and women’s teams as well as the Atlantis men are in the top 5 of their respective polls.

The Apprentice men have garnered the number 2 national ranking, trailing only Bryant & Stratton Syracuse. Head coach Evan Kee is pleased with the recognition and says he’s looking forward to returning to Petersburg, Virginia, the site of the USCAA Small College Championships.

“We are thrilled that our strong start to the season has led to an early season #2 ranking,” said Kee. “We’ve played a challenging opening schedule and we are happy to have come out with some convincing wins. We understand that the only poll that truly matters is the final one, which will be the crowned national champion. We hope to be in position to finish the season number one in the country and to cut down nets at Virginia State University.”

The Builders are picking up where they left off last season when they went undefeated in conference play, won the NSAC tournament title, and advanced to the USCAA semifinals before falling to Bryant & Stratton Buffalo 77-75.

Atlantis comes into the poll ranked number 4. The new NSAC member also appeared in the national tournament last season in its first year of eligibility, but fell victim to B&S Buffalo in the opening round 73-64.

B&S Buffalo is at number three. Salem University, last year’s national champion, rounds out the top 5.

The Apprentice women crack the season-opening rankings at number four. The Lady Builders fell to eventual champion D’Youville in the national semifinals last year 75-48.

Thoroughbreds Down Blue Bears, End Losing Streak

Sometimes, scouting an opponent can present challenges. Lack of game tape, roster turnover and other unforeseen circumstances can throw off a team and coach’s preparation for game day.

Enter the Livingstone College Blue Bears junior varsity squad, the latest challenge to Blue Lights College men’s basketball coach Nolan Adams and his young Thoroughbreds. Finding information on the Blue Bears, including their game-day roster, was difficult at times. “It was an X-factor. We didn’t know much about them,” Adams said postgame on the Thoroughbreds Sports Network.

Livingstone came to Hope Community Church Arena with a distinct size advantage over the Thoroughbreds. Of the eight players dressed for the Blue Bears, only one was listed under six feet tall, and five of them were at least 6’6″. “Just because they’re bigger than us doesn’t mean we have to adjust to them; they have to adjust to us,” Adams added.

Truer words were never spoken, as the Thoroughbreds used a 57 point second half to cruise to a 102-88 victory over the visitors from Salisbury, N.C. Sophomore forward Wol Yak was hot in the first half, scoring 25 of his game-high 31 points in the first 20 minutes.

“Wol really picked it up (for us) in the first half,” Adams said.

The Herd (5-2) led 45-40 at the break in a back-and-forth matchup. Livingstone held a 37-36 lead with 2:42 remaining until halftime. The lead was short-lived as sophomore point guard Sam Benton, Jr. hit a three-pointer to regain a 39-37 advantage that BLC never surrendered for the remainder of the game.

Despite the best efforts from Blue Bears guard James Nipper and forward AJ Shaw, the Thoroughbreds did just enough to hold off Livingstone in the final 20 minutes. Benton scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half, including three field goals from beyond the arc. Wol Yak and freshman guard Patrick Harrington (five points) both hit dagger threes in the final minute to put the exclamation point on the victory.

BLC got major contributions from freshmen Darquez Flowers (9 points, 13 rebounds), Jaye Bookhart (8 points, five rebounds) and the returning Kalil Baker (14 points, nine assists).

Benton, Baker, and Wol Yak missed the previous two games at Cape Fear Community College and Allen University with injuries. Sophomore guard Miigwaanhs Barrientoz remains sidelined with a calf injury and missed Tuesday’s game. The timeline for Barrientoz to return is unclear at this time.

The Thoroughbreds will travel to Charlotte on Thursday, November 30th in a non-conference showdown with Johnson & Wales University.

Story and image courtesy Craig Green/BLC Media

Key Matchups Highlight Post-Thanksgiving Slate This Week

After a needed Thanksgiving Day break, New South teams return to action this week to a slate of interesting matchups. 

Blue Lights opens the week on Tuesday by hosting the JV team from Livingstone, The Thoroughbreds (4-2) hope to end a two-game slide by getting key players back from injuries. 

Wednesday night is Rivalry Night in Miami as Atlantis (3-2) hosts cross-town foe United International College.  

It’s officially called the Roger Taylor Classic, but Apprentice (5-1) and MACU (1-4) consider the weekend of games in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to be the “NSAC-USA South Showdown.” On Friday, the Builders face Greensboro College and the Thoroughbreds tackle NC Wesleyan. They switch opponents on Saturday.  

Central International (4-4) gets back to action on Monday, December 4, taking on a much-improved Patrick Henry College team.  

Lighthouse (5-2) will try to knock the rust off from a two-week layoff when it travels to Atlantis on December 6. It will mark the first-ever NSAC conference game for both teams. 

Short-Handed Thoroughbreds Come Up Shy at Allen

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Blue Lights College, with a short roster due to a number of injuries to key players, dropped its second straight game 90-35 Saturday at Allen.

Allen got out to a fast start leading 15-1 early on and then 46-19 at the halftime break. AU shot 52 % from the floor overall in the game and 42 percent from three. Allen then outscored Blue Lights 44-16 in the second half holding BLC to just 23 percent from the floor and 15 percent from three.

Thoroughbred starters Kalil Baker, Sam Benton and Miigwaanhs Barrientoz all missed action for the second game due to injuries, depriving BLC of almost 60 points.

The Yellow Jackets’ Austin James led all scorers with 14 points. BLC’s Wol Yak and Patrick Harrigton scored eight apiece.

Blue Lights drops to 4-2 on the season. Allen’s record remains at 0-2 as AU considered the game as an exhibition.

AU Sweeps B&S Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. – Atlantis and Bryant & Stratton Albany played a back-and-forth contest in their rematch Thursday night, but the Atlanteans held on late to sweep the series 68-66.

B&S took the lead from the start on their home court for the first time in their two home games against AU. Atlantis (3-2) fought back and led by as many as five before settling for a 4-point advantage at halftime, 30-26.

B&S (1-2) retook the lead in the first minute of the second period and extended it to 33-30 before AU reclaimed the top spot on a Keith Shakes, Jr. layup at the 16:16 mark to make it 35-34. The visitors would lead by as many as 12 after two free throws by Stewart Clough with 9:08 remaining before the Bobcats would rally again.

B&S cut the lead to one, 67-66, with 17 seconds to play off a steal and subsequent layup by Devon Smith-Johnson. Tyric Francois of Atlantis was fouled on the inbounds play and made one of his two free throw attempts. The Bobcats had a chance to retake the lead with :09 remaining but missed both free throws to provide the final score. 

“Very proud of the way our guys fought to the very last second of the game,” said B&S coach Mike Shewmaker. “Our energy and commitment to playing hard for 40 minutes was there, but the reality is, you don’t win college basketball games shooting 17-30 from the FT line.”

Clough led the Atlanteans with 17 points. Smith-Johnson matched that for Bryant & Stratton.

Atlantis had defeated B&S Albany 73-56 on Tuesday and dropped a 91-79 decision to Bryant & Stratton Syracuse on Wednesday.

Image courtesy albany.bscbobcats.com

BLC’s Baker Named POTW

Blue Lights College freshman Kalil Baker led the Thoroughbreds to a three-win week and has been honored as the NSAC Player of the Week.

Baker averaged 28 points and seven rebounds while adding 3.3 assists per game in wins over Morris, Touro and Five Towns. The Rocky Mount, North Carolina forward is averaging 30.75 points per game on the season in helping BLC to its first 4-0 start in program history.

Congratulations to Kalil Baker, the NSAC Player of the Week!

Atlanteans Run Past B&S Albany 73-56

ALBANY, N.Y.– Bryant & Stratton Albany fought hard, but couldn’t catch up in their home opener against Atlantis, falling 73-56 on Tuesday night.

Atlantis (2-1) hit the ground running and by the end of the first half, the spread was 38-26. The Bobcats (1-1) had a much stronger second half and cut the deficit to five, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Atlanteans.

“Atlantis is a very physical and energetic team who we did not match the intensity with,” Bobcats coach Mike Shewmaker said following the game. “We need to start valuing the basketball and handling defensive pressure. We can’t keep letting other teams dictate the pace of play. They beat us start to finish.”

Atlantis continues its New York road trip tonight at Bryant & Stratton Syracuse. B&S Albany and Atlantis will meet again on Thursday.

Story and image courtesy bscbobcats.com

Mustangs Drop Exhibition at NCCU

DURHAM, N.C. – Redshirt senior Ja’Darius Harris and junior Keishon Porter lit up McDougald-McLendon Arena from distance, combining for seven three-pointers in NCCU’s 113-50 victory over Mid-Atlantic Christian in an exhibition game Tuesday evening.

Sophomore forward Joshua Tyler led the Mustangs with 15 points.

“Our goal was to work on our defense and score 50 points,” MACU coach Charles Sims said after the game. “We did that. One of their players said to me, ‘You’re changing the defense every time down the floor.’ I told him, ‘ We have to keep you on your toes.'”

“Our guys know that this is a process. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re in a good place,” said Sims.

The Mustangs (1-2 overall, 1-0 NSAC) face cross-town rival Elizabeth City State tonight.

Story details courtesy nccueaglepride.com; image courtesy gomacumustangs.com

Pacheco-Ortiz’s Double-Double Paces Builders Past Roadrunners

CLIFTON FORGE, Va. – Angel Pacheco-Ortiz recorded a double-double as the Apprentice School men’s basketball team pushed past Mountain Gateway Community College Saturday afternoon 73-58.

The Builders led wire-to-wire, starting the game with an 8-0 run and never looking back. Apprentice held the Roadrunners scoreless through the first 5:21 of the game in their home gym and stretched the lead to as many as 19 by halftime.

MGCC came back in the second half, cutting the lead down to as few as six with just under four minutes to go, but the Builders finished the final four minutes on a 13-2 run to put the game away.

Pacheco-Ortiz finished with 12 points and 11 boards to lead 12 Builders who put points in the scoring column. He was the only Builder to finish with double figures.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Three Ball Pushes MACU Past CIC 101-77

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian’s long-range game was the difference maker Tuesday night as the Mustangs put away Central International 101-77 in the NSAC Tipoff Classic.

The Mustangs (1-1 overall, 1-0 NSAC) shot 46.7% (14 of 30) from beyond the arc, almost as good as they did from the floor overall (46.8%). The Cardinals (3-2, 0-1) shot a good 50% from the floor, but only mustered 3 of 14 (21.4%) from three.

MACU opened on a 9-0 run before CIC got on the board, then stretched the lead to as much as 16 before intermission. Central used a 12-2 run to claw back in the second half, trimming the lead to 64-60 with less than 12 minutes to play, but could get no closer as the Herd used a 14-3 run of its own to put the game away.

“Today’s game was good for the players as they came together collectively as a group to achieve the first home game victory,” MACU coach Charles Sims said after the game. “From the onset they made up in their minds that this game was going to be a statement game. We still have areas of the game that we need to improve in, too. We will continue to take the approach of one game at a time mentality.”

Junior Carlos Raven led the Mustangs with 21 points, while CIC’s Sincere Moore led all scorers with 24.

Image courtesy USCAA Sports Network/MACU