Month: March 2024

Apprentice Takes Down Lyon to Win USCAA Title

PETERSBURG, Va. – For the first time since the 2002-03 season, the Apprentice School men’s basketball team cut down the nets at the USCAA Small College National Championship with a 73-68 win over Lyon Wednesday afternoon.

Donovan Means was named Tournament MVP after leading the team with 19 points. Adrion Wall and Karree Smith were also named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Senior Avin Hawkins added 15 off the bench.

The Scots and Builders were in a battle from the opening tip with Apprentice trailing for a majority of the first half, but with the final five points of the first half, the Builders took a 33-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Apprentice, the back-to-back NSAC champion, extended their lead to seven early in the second half, but the Scots hit big shots, going on a 7-0 run to tie the game up at 43-43. From there, the lead switched hands multiple times before the game settled in with the Builders holding a small margin. Lyon cut the lead down to two late, but three free throws down the stretch, coupled with defensive stops, put the Builders on the ladder to cut down the nets and hoist the national championship trophy.

It’s the third national championship for the Builders’ basketball program in school history and the first since going back-to-back in the 2001-02 and 02-03 seasons.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Survive and Advance! Apprentice Holds On to Clinch Spot in National Championship

PETERSBURG, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team is potentially just 40 minutes away from the first men’s basketball national title in more than two decades after knocking off Bryant & Stratton-Albany Tuesday afternoon 69-60.

The game was nip-and-tuck all the way through as the Bobcats held a one-point lead at halftime, 32-31. The Builders answered, however, going on an 8-0 run to take the lead, 42-38. Albany eventually brought the game back to a 55-55 tie, but the Builders never surrendered the lead again, scoring the next four points and then the final six of the day to clinch their spot in the national championship game.

Donovan Means led Apprentice with 17 points, while Adrion Wall had 14 points. Karree Smith put up 13 as well.

With the win, the Builders will play for the USCAA Division I National Championship tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Virginia State University’s Multipurpose Center against third-seeded Lyon. Tickets are still available at basketball.theuscaa.com, while a live stream and stats will be available as well.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Builders Advance to Final Four with Win over UMFK

PETERSBURG, Va. – The No. 1 Apprentice School men’s basketball team earned their second straight USCAA semifinal appearance Sunday as they knocked off eighth-seeded Maine-Fort Kent, 96-79.

“We’re thankful to have pulled off the win and that we’re advancing to our second straight USCAA Final Four,” said head coach Evan Kee. “This was also win No. 23, which ties the record for most wins in school history. We had big performances from a number of guys, and we’re going to need continued production from the entire roster on Tuesday against Bryant & Stratton-Albany.”

The Builders and Bengals traded baskets early, but with the score in favor of Apprentice at 18-15, the Builders went on a 21-0 run to stretch the lead to 24. The lead ballooned to as many as 26, but the Bengals never went away, cutting it to as few as 14 with six minutes to play before the Builders put the game away.

Adrion Wall continued his stretch of hot play, finishing with a game-high 26 points. Kurij Harrell added 16 off the bench, while Karree Smith had 14. Donovan Means put up 11.

The NSAC champion Builders will take on B&S-Albany Tuesday at 12 p.m. at Virginia State University for a spot in the national championship game.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Apprentice tabbed as USCAA Top Seed

PITTSBURGH – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team, fresh off a New South Athletic Conference Tournament championship, has been named the No. 1 seed in the 2024 USCAA National Championship Tournament.

The Builders will be making their fourth straight appearance in the tournament and their first as the top seed since winning the tournament in the 2002-03 season.

Apprentice will take on eighth-seeded Maine-Fort Kent in the opening round to take place Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. at Virginia State University. Tickets can be purchased through the tournament website as well as links to live statistics and video, once available, will also be on the site.

Apprentice is 22-5 headed into the tournament. Bryant & Stratton-Buffalo was tagged the No. 2 seed, while Lyon was the third team in. Bryant & Stratton-Albany and Southeastern Illinois will battle in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game on the opening day of the tournament. Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse was the sixth seed, and Manor grabbed the No. 7 spot.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Apprentice Defends NSAC Title, Downing Lighthouse 58-55

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team captured its second straight New South Athletic Conference Tournament Championship after holding off the top-seeded Lighthouse Christian Makos 58-55 Sunday afternoon.

The Builders and Makos traded buckets through the first 10 minutes before Apprentice went on a 10-2 run to stretch a one-point lead into a nine-point lead with just under eight minutes to go in the first half. The Builder lead went to as many as 12 before the Makos started chipping away, trailing by just eight at halftime.

LCC came out in the second half and caused Apprentice to turn the ball over several times, trimming the lead down to as few as two with eight minutes to go after trailing by as many as 14 early in the second half. The Makos could never get over the proverbial hump, however, as the Builders answered each run with a basket to stretch the lead back out.

Lighthouse got the lead down to one point with under 10 seconds to go, but Avin Hawkins hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to seal the win.

Adrion Wall led all scorers with 24 points, including four three pointers. Donovan Means was a rebound short of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards.

The Makos were led by Chayse Culpepper and Daniel Poole with 18 points each, while NSAC Player of the Year Eddie Brown was held to just 11 points on the day, going 5-for-20 from the floor.

With the win, Apprentice improves to 22-5 on the season as they look ahead to the USCAA National Tournament set to begin in one week in Petersburg, Virginia. The Builders have been the No. 1 team in the national coach’s poll since the start of the calendar year.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Builders Win Sets Up Awaited Rematch with Lighthouse for NSAC Title

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team is in very familiar territory as they will play in their fourth straight conference tournament championship game when they battle Lighthouse Christian on Sunday afternoon for the New South Athletic Conference Championship after defeating Central International Saturday 111-80.

The Builders are the defending champions of the league after running through the conference slate undefeated in the 2022-23 season. Apprentice lost just two conference games in the 2023-24 season, and one of those was to the Makos of Lighthouse Christian in a 76-73 thriller on February 15.

Apprentice wasted no time getting going Saturday against the Cardinals, jumping out to a 16-7 lead seven minutes into the contest. The Builder lead ballooned to as many as 21 in the first half and 39 in the second half on the way to the semifinal win.

Leading the way for Apprentice was Adrion Wall with a career-high 31 points, recording a double-double with 11 rebounds. Avin Hawkins added 18, while Donovan Means tallied 16. Kurij Harrell was also in double figures with 12 points on a day where every Builder that saw playing time recorded at least two points.

The championship game will take place Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. between the Builders and the Makos. Tickets to the championship game are $7 and can be purchased at GoBuilders.com. All fans must have a ticket to get into the facility. Fans should also account for extra time getting to the arena as the One City Marathon race course finishes just blocks from the gym, and most of Washington Avenue will be closed as part of the course.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Lighthouse Outshines MACU in NSAC Semis

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Top-seed Lighthouse Christian used a balance scoring attack and strong rebounding to hold off fourth-seeded Mid-Atlantic Christian 84-69 Saturday afternoon and advance to the NSAC Men’s Basketball Tournament finals.

Lighthouse jumped out toa 9-0 lead and led 50-33 at the half behind Eddie Brown’s 16 points, but MACU held Brown in check much of the second half until the NSAC MVP was forced to leave the game with cramps in both legs with 5:45 to play. The Mustangs trimmed the Makos’ lead to 10 on several occasions, but could get to closer.

All five starters scored in double figures for LCC, led by Chayse Culpeper’s 19. Joshua Tyler scored 19 to lead MACU.

Lighthouse advances to face 2nd-seed Apprentice, which defeated 6th-seed Central International 111-80. The championship game will be Sunday at 2:00 pm.

MACU Downs Atlantis in Opening Round Thriller

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Fourth-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian got 26 points from Carlos Raven, including 12 from beyond the arc, to hold off a determined Atlantis University squad 82-70 in the quarterfinals of the New South Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament Friday afternoon.

After leading by as many as eight in the first half, the Mustangs (8-16) held a 36-32 advantage at the break. The fifth-seeded Atlanteans (7-15) clawed back in the second half to lead by as many as six before MACU pulled away for the final score.

Noah Richardson-Keys added 19 for the Mustangs while Joshua Tyler had 11 and Dre-Shaun Brown chipped in 10.

Keifer Chow led Atlantis with 21 points, Nikko Landon contributed 17, Jose Rosario added 14, and Vaughn Brown had 11.

MACU advances to face top-seed Lighthouse Christian Saturday at 2:00 pm. In the other semifinal, 2nd-seed Apprentice will take on 6th-seed Central International at 4:00 pm.