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