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