Month: February 2026

All-Academic Teams Announced

The New South Athletic Conference is proud to announce the 2026 Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team, comprised of student-athletes sporting a 3.0 or higher GPA.

“Now more than ever, the importance of education is paramount, and we in the NSAC take that seriously,” says commissioner Mike Davis. “While college sports elsewhere become more and more consumed by other interests, the NSAC continues to recognize the ‘student’ in ‘student-athlete.’ I am so proud of each of these young people and they institutions they represent.”

2026 All-Academic Team MBB

APPRENTICE

  • Wayne Hedgepeth
  • Donovan Means
  • Joel Maxey

ATLANTIS

  • Samuel Jimenez
  • Santiago Insaurralde
  • Artem Sorokin

BARBER-SCOTIA

  • Jakobie Abram
  • Channing Beadles
  • Christian Nickerson

BEACON

  • Cooper White
  • Noah Wilhelm
  • Jovan Bell
  • Ernesto Hichez
  • Tre’von Redd
  • Sean James

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN

  • Eddie Brown
  • Joseph Bob Wiltz
  • Canaan Grays

MID-ATLANTIC CHRISTIAN

  • Tyus Williams
  • Janus Shepherd
  • Stewart Clough
  • Janai Williams
  • Terrence Williams
  • Uriah Logan

MILLENNIA ATLANTIC

  • Ty’rion Denson

SC CENTRAL

  • Kansas Nichols
  • Tyrek Dawson
  • Christian Braxton
  • Aron Escobar

SOUTHEAST CHRISTIAN

  • Coy Sizemore
  • Tasir Best
  • Calvin Harrigan
  • Ixion Toro
  • Jaden Victor
  • Karlton Walton
  • Marvin Windom
  • Bernard Standley
  • Ranoldo Alcantara
  • Darwin Huerfano Grieco
  • Carey Davis

URBE

  • Gianmario Fernandez
  • Ethan Fernandez
  • Hector Saavedra
  • Joseph Behrend
  • Reynier Olivar
  • Gabriel Fernandez
  • Ronal Hodelin
  • Luis Carias
  • Jose Suazo
  • Diego Ramos
  • Yasmany Flores

Apprentice, Atlantis to Carry the NSAC Flag to National Tournaments

PITTSBURGH – Three teams will represent the New South Athletic Conference in next week’s USCAA Small College National Basketball Tournaments in Buffalo, New York.

The Apprentice School men’s basketball team will look to win their third straight USCAA National Tournament as they claimed the No. 6 seed, announced by the national office in the selection show Tuesday morning.

The Builders, fresh off winning their third NSAC Tournament Championship, will take on third-seeded Bryant & Stratton – Syracuse on March 3.

The Atlantis men grabbed the eighth seed and will face top-seed Bloomfield in first round action

The Apprentice School women’s basketball team is back in the national tournament for the first time since 2023 as they claimed the No. 6 seed. The Builders, fresh off winning their first NSAC championship in program history, will take on third-seeded Paul Quinn on March 3.

Game times, ticket information, and more can be found at USCAA Small College National Championships.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Apprentice Bests URBE in NSAC Championship

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – For the third time in four years, The Apprentice School men’s basketball team can call itself New South Athletic Conference Champions as they took down top-seeded URBE University in a 69-60 classic Sunday afternoon.

The Builders scored the first eight points of the game and 20 of the first 25 to set the tone, but the Tigers never went away, clawing their way back into the game at the midway point of the game. URBE scored the final six points of the first half and 14 of the first 18 points of the second half to tie the game at 43-43 with 12:40 to go in the game.

Apprentice never wavered, though, going on an 8-1 run to push the lead back out to seven at 51-44. The lead pushed out to double digits just moments later and stayed there until the final moments of the contest.

Donovan Means paced the Builders with 17 points off the bench, earning him Tournament MVP honors. Jahlil Hope added 12 and Devon Brown had 11, earning them each spots on the All-Tournament Team. They were joined by Atlantis’s Nikko Landon, Beacon’s Ernesto Hinchez, and URBE’s Luis Carias and Ronal Hodelin.

The Builders now await the USCAA bid show Monday afternoon at 12:40 p.m. to see where they are in the rankings headed into the national tournament. Ranked seventh in the latest coach’s poll, Apprentice is looking to win its third straight national title.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics; image courtesy DeMetri Washington/@pixxbydk

Top Seeds Apprentice and URBE Move on to Championship Game

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The seeds held in Saturday’s NSAC Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinals.

In the first game, 2nd-seed Apprentice used a strong second half to pull away from 3rd seed Atlantis University for a 68-57 victory.

Jabari Brackett and Jahlil Hope each scored 14 points to lead the Builders, who shot 51.9% after halftime and outscored the Atlanteans 37-28 over the final 20 minutes. Devon Brown added 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Shamon Rosser chipped in 10 points off the bench.

Atlantis led briefly in the first half and shot 50% before the break but cooled to 29% in the second half. Nikko Landon paced the visitors with 15 points, while Santiago Insaurralde scored 16 off the bench before reinjuring the ankle he sprained last week and leaving the game. Elijah Gayle added 10.

In the day’s final contest, top-seed URBE University led from wire to wire and pulled away in the second half to down 4th-seed Beacon College 72-55.

Luis Carias scored 24 points to lead the Tigers, who improved to 20-1 on the season. Ronal Hodelin added 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Hector Saavedra chipped in 14 points as URBE outscored Beacon 41-31 after halftime.

Beacon struggled offensively, shooting 31.3% from the field and 7 of 29 from 3-point range. Ernesto Hichez led the Blazers with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Tony Wade finished with 10 points. Chris Lampkins added nine points and 10 rebounds.

URBE led 31-24 at the break and steadily extended the margin behind efficient shooting and a strong performance at the foul line, where it went 19 of 25.

Saturday’s outcomes mean the top two seeds, URBE and Apprentice, will meet Sunday at 3:00 pm for the 2026 NSAC Men’s Basketball title.

Apprentice, URBE Cruise into NSAC Semis

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – For the third time in three weeks, The Apprentice School men’s basketball team was victorious over Mid-Atlantic Christian, winning in the New South Athletic Conference quarterfinals Friday evening 70-58.

Both teams traded buckets through the early portion of the game, but the Builders rattled off a 12-1 run to take control midway through the first half. After the Mustangs clawed their way back to tie the game up at 40-40 early in the second half, Apprentice used another big run to push the lead out to 13 points with eight minutes to go.

From there, the Builders maintained their cushion to earn their fourth straight trip to the NSAC Tournament semifinals.

Jahlil Hope and Devon Brown each had 14 points to pace the home team, while Wayne Hedgepeth and Shamon Rosser had 10 each.

The Builders will take on Atlantis tomorrow in the semifinals in a matchup of the Nos. 7 and 8 teams in the USCAA Division I Coaches Poll just two days before bids are announced for the national tournament. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.

In the nightcap, top-seed URBE University pulled away in the second half to punch its ticket for the semifinals with a 75-55 win over 8th-seed Southeast Christian.

Luis Carias scored 20 points to lead URBE, which outscored Southeast Christian 45-27 after halftime. Hector Saavedra added 14 points, and Ethan Fernandez came off the bench to knock down four 3-pointers. Ronal Hodelin contributed 18 rebounds to anchor a 52-39 edge on the glass.

Southeast was a victim of attrition. Two Eagles players went down with injuries and three others fouled out, leaving SECC with just four players on the floor in the last minute of play. Coy Sizemore led the Eagles with 15 points, while Lomar Sparrow posted 13 points and 17 rebounds. Ronald Rodman added 11 points.

URBE advances to face 4th-seed Beacon on Saturday at 7:30 pm in the tournament semifinals.

Apprentice story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Atlantis, Beacon Survive and Advance

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Atlantis University pulled away in the second half to beat South Carolina Central 74-58 Friday afternoon in the first quarterfinal game of the 2026 NSAC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Artem Sorokin scored 21 points and knocked down five 3-pointers to lead Atlantis, which outscored South Carolina Central 43-29 after halftime. Ornie Brooks added 15 points and five assists, while Folayemi Salako posted 12 points and 13 rebounds. The 3rd-seeded Atlanteans shot 46.4% in the second half and went 9 of 20 from beyond the arc for the game.

Nazir Sample led 7th-seed S4C with 15 points, while Tyrek Dawson and David Lias each scored 11. The Gladiators struggled at the foul line, hitting just 3 of 11 free throws.

In the second game of the afternoon, 4th-seed Beacon College came from 22 points down to beat 5th-seed Lighthouse in overtime, 97-93.

Ernesto Hichez finished with 32 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Blazers, which erased a 13-point halftime deficit. Tony Wade added 23 points, knocking down five 3-pointers, and Noah Wilhelm scored 17, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:09 left in overtime, as Beacon shot 52.5% in the second half and 44.4% from beyond the arc for the game.

Lighthouse led 48-35 at the break and had four players score in double figures, led by Eddie Brown’s 26 points and 12 rebounds. JB Wiltz added 25 points, while Brent Royal Jr. chipped in 12. Marcus White grabbed 15 rebounds for the visitors.

URBE and Beacon face off for the third time this season in the tournament semifinals Saturday at 7:30 pm.

Conference Championships Set to Tip-Off

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The fields are set, the teams are ready, and glory awaits at the 2026 New South Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments.

The women’s quarterfinal matchups tip off Thursday, February 19 at 5:30 pm Eastern time inside the Apprentice Athletic Center. The men’s quarters follow on Friday beginning at high noon. The championships take place Sunday.

You can find the men’s bracket here and the women’s bracket here. Ticket information, live stats, and the livestream of each game can be accessed here.

Atlantis Locks Up Third Seed with 89-68 Win Over MAU

MIAMI – Samuel Jimenez led a balanced scoring attack with 16 points Thursday night as Atlantis knocked off Millennia Atlantic 89-68.

Dennis Marrero added 15, Nikko Landon 14, and Artem Sorokin 13 for Atlantis, which improved to 15-9 overall and 6-3 in conference play. Senior Santiago Insaurralde missed the game with an ankle sprain sustained in Tuesday’s game against Dayton Beach Christian.

Damon Phillips, Jr. paced the Macaws with 16 points. Millennia dropped to 9-11 overall and 1-7 in the NSAC.

The win clinches third place for the Atlanteans in next week’s New South Athletic Conference tournament in Newport News, Virginia. The game will be a rematch with SC Central Christian, which defeated AU 75-72 on January 30.

Image courtesy Jorge Morrerro/Atlantis Athletics

Apprentice Clinches #2 Seed with Win Over MACU

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team used a great shooting performance Thursday night in a 108-78 win over MACU, clinching the No. 2 seed in next week’s New South Athletic Conference Tournament in the process.

The Builders and Mustangs traded blows early, but Apprentice, trailing 13-6, used a 20-6 run to gain control in the game. The Builders stretched their first half lead to as many as 18 before blowing the doors off the gym in the second half on the way to a 30-point win.

Apprentice (13-8 overall, 5-2 NSAC) hit a season-high 16 three-pointers in the game as six Builders finished in double figures. Shamon Rosser and Monte Rudolph led the way with 16 points each off the bench, while Jabari Brackett added 15. Donovan Means returned to the lineup to add 14 points, and Devon Brown had 13. Wayne Hedgepeth contributed 12 points to the cause.

Elijah Dias led MACU with 16 points.

With the loss, the Mustangs (7-15, 3-3) fell into a tie for sixth place in the NSAC standings with South Carolina Central, but they lose the tiebreaker. As a result, the Builders and Mustangs will meet for a third time in three weeks in the quarterfinals next Friday in Newport News.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics; image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

S4C Knocks Off MACU for Third Straight NSAC Win

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. – Tyrek Dawson poured in 19 points to lead a balanced South Carolina Central Christian floor attack to a 93-75 victory over Mid-Atlantic Christian Friday night.

The Gladiators went on a 30-11 run over the final 11:31 to close out the win.

Davarious Johnson and Nazir Sample each added 18 and Dewayne Halliburton added 17 off the bench.

It was the third New South Athletic Conference win in a row for SC Central (4-11 overall, 3-3 NSAC) after the Gladiators dropped their first three of the season.

The Mustangs (7-12, 3-2) were led by Stewart Clough and Keondre Rodgers with 15 apiece. It was MACU’s second conference loss in a row after starting the season with three wins.

Graphic courtesy MACU Athletics