Category: Apprentice

Apprentice Wraps Up Undefeated NSAC Schedule

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – With a 72-56 win over Mid-Atlantic Christian Wednesday night, the Apprentice School men’s basketball team wrapped up their New South Athletic Conference schedule a perfect 11-0.

The Builders led wire-to-wire in the contest between the two top teams in the league, despite hitting just three three-pointers on the night. Apprentice led 35-26 at the break and held off each and every push the Mustangs had in the second half to extend the lead out to its final 16 point margin.

Wednesday had one of the more balanced scoring attacks the Builders have had all year with 10 different players contributing no more than 12 points on the night. Karree Smith led Apprentice with 12, followed by Avin Hawkins and CJ Highsmith with 10 each. The Builders were also +12 in the rebound column. Apprentice won the points in the paint battle, 48-20.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Builders Blow Past Bengals 98-72 on Senior Day

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – On a day where the senior class was recognized, the Apprentice School men’s basketball team took care of business against Maine-Fort Kent, 98-72, Saturday evening.

After trading baskets early, the Builders ran away, stretching the lead out to as many as 37 in the second half on the way to their seventh win over the past eight outings.

Jayden Eason and Karree Smith each put up a team-high 16 points on the game. Shawn Eley had 11. In total, 11 Builders ended the night in the scoring column shooting over 53 percent from the floor.

The Builders will play their final regular season home game on Wednesday as they host Mid-Atlantic Christian in an NSAC matchup. Tip time is 7 p.m.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Apprentice Secures Top Seed with 40-Point Win

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The New South Athletic Conference regular season title can call Newport News home as The Apprentice School men’s basketball team dispatched Christendom, 82-42, Tuesday night.

From the opening tip, it was all Apprentice as the Builders ran away early, leading 45-15 at halftime on the back of a 7-for-13 three point shooting half. AS didn’t look back in the second half, pushing the lead out to as many as 47 in the clinching game. The Builders shot nearly 51 percent as a team, including 11 threes.

The win secures the Builders as the number one seed in the upcoming NSAC Tournament.

Avin Hawkins and Jayden Eason each had 17 points. Hawkins was 4-for-8 behind the arc, while Eason hit 7-of-11 from the floor. The Crusaders’ John Paul Vander Woude finished with 19 points.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Tournament Implications Loom Large Tuesday Night

Tuesday’s Blue Lights home game against Virginia Peninsula Community College will play a major factor in determining first round matchups in the 2023 New South Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament.

After this weekend’s results, here are how things stand (NSAC W-L):

Apprentice 9-0*
Mid-Atlantic Christian 5-1*
Virginia Peninsula 2-3
Blue Lights 1-3
Christendom 0-3
Carolina Christian 0-6

*Clinched first round bye

Remaining NSAC games:
Apprentice: 2 (vs Christendom, vs MACU)
MACU: 3 (vs. CCC, at Apprentice, at VPCC)
VPCC: 2 (at BLC, vs MACU)
BLC: 1 (vs VPCC)
Christendom: 1 (at Apprentice)
Carolina Christian: 1 (at MACU)

Both Apprentice and MACU have clinched a bye into the semifinals.

A BLC win against Virginia Peninsula on Tuesday will lock up an opening round game for the Herd at Hope Community Church Arena, taking place during the week of February 21st. If the Gators win, it will clinch a home game for themselves as well as a guaranteed third place finish.

A Thoroughbreds loss – combined with a Christendom win at Apprentice – would secure the Crusaders a home playoff game, forcing BLC to play on the road.

The Thoroughbreds-Gators game tips off at 6:30pm EST, airing LIVE on the Thoroughbreds Sports Network on YouTube. Christendom-Apprentice tips off 30 minutes later at 7pm EST, also on YouTube.

The NSAC Basketball Tournament final four will be held February 25 and 26 in Newport News, Virginia.

Story and image courtesy Craig Green/BLC Media

Builders Survive Upset Attempt by CCC, 81-78

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Carolina Christian led twice in the final three minutes but could not close the deal as Apprentice survived the upset-minded Centurions 81-78 Saturday afternoon.

The Builders took their largest lead of the game on a Jayden Eason layup at 54-44 with 12:48 to play in the second half, but the Centurions would not fold and started to chip away at the lead. Daishaun George gave CCC a 74-73 lead off a layup with 3:08 remaining, but a Caleb Mielewski shot returned the favor for Apprentice just 12 seconds later. Two free throws by the Centurions’ Antonio Baldwin gave them a 76-75 advantage at the 1:57 mark, but another Eason bucket flipped the lead again 11 seconds later.

The teams traded buckets once again before Shawn Eley put an exclamation point on the game with a Builder dunk at :17. A George 3-point attempt missed with 2 seconds to play for the final score.

Adrion Wall came of the bench with 19 points for Apprentice, and Eley recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Reserve Eli Faybain led the Centurions with 19.

Apprentice remains undefeated in conference play at 9-0 and 14-7 overall. Carolina Christian moves to 0-5 and 3-12.

Image courtesy gobuilders.com

Apprentice Finishes Regular Season Sweep of VPCC

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team needed free throws down the stretch to take down Virginia Peninsula Community College Wednesday night in a 61-55 thriller.

The two teams voted atop the New South Athletic Conference preseason poll showed why they were picked there in a back-and-forth affair. After the Builders took a five point lead into intermission, they stormed away early in the second half to lead by as many as 15 before the Gators clawed back into the game, trimming the lead to as few as two with under 30 seconds to go. Apprentice hit four straight free throws in the waning moments to clinch the win.

Shawn Eley led the Builders in scoring with 13 points, while Karree Smith added 11. Caleb Mielewski put up 10 off the bench. Eley finished with a double-double, securing 12 rebounds on the night.

Apprentice improves to 8-0 at the top of the NSAC standings and 13-6 overall, while VPCC drops to 1-3 and 8-6, respectively.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Eley Named Player of the Week

Shawn Eley of Apprentice had a big week in leading the Builders to two conference wins.

The 6′ 4″ senior posted a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in a win against MACU and had 19 points and 7 rebounds in a win against VPCC.

Honorable mention: Keyshawn Bryant, BLC

Builders Solidify NSAC Lead with Win over VPCC, 62-46

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School used a strong second half to pull away from Hampton Roads rival Virginia Peninsula and record its sixth New South win, 62-46, Saturday afternoon.

Senior Shawn Eley led the Builders with 19 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. Junior Avin Hawkins came off the bench to add 13 points.

Javion Majette, the 2022 NSAC MVP, led the Gators with 14 points and 8 boards.

Apprentice now holds a commanding 6-0 NSAC record atop the standings and is 11-6 overall. VPCC falls to 7-5 overall and 1-2 in conference play, tied with Blue Lights and Central International for third place. Mid-Atlantic Christian holds the second place position with a 3-1 NSAC record.

Image courtesy 7CitiesHooptape

Builders Dominate CIC, Improve to 4-0 in NSAC

RICHMOND, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team moved to 4-0 in New South Athletic Conference play with an 86-48 win over Central International Saturday afternoon.

After CIC (2-2 overall, 1-2 NSAC) hit a layup off the opening tip, Apprentice went on a 12-3 run to take the lead and not look back, leading for the rest of the contest. The lead got out to 32 by halftime at 50-18 and stretched to as many as 42 points before the final horn.

  • Shawn Eley had a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Tony Epps, Jr. finished two assists shy of a triple-double, notching 10 points and 10 boards to go with his eight dimes.
  • Karree Smith also finished in double figures with 11 points.
  • Apprentice (9-5, 4-0) shot 59.2 percent from the floor, hitting 5-of-10 threes along the way.

The game was in stark contrast to the November 12 meeting between the two teams when CIC trailed by only one with less than two minutes to play. The Builders would score the final six points to secure the win, 87-80.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Apprentice Sweeps Cruzin’ Classic

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team went 2-0 in the Cruzin’ Classic this week, taking down third-ranked Atlantis Tuesday before routing Florida Palms on Wednesday.

Tuesday, the USCAA sixth-ranked Builders jumped out to an early lead before Atlantis raced back to take the lead midway through the first half. Apprentice (7-5 overall, 3-0 NSAC) would use an 11-0 run to retake the lead and take it to halftime, up 33-29. In the second half, the Builders pulled away early, leading by as many as 15 and held on to knock off the No. 3 team in the national coaches poll by a final score of 73-60.

Wednesday, Apprentice found themselves in a tight game at halftime, leading 38-37, before clamping down the defense in the second half and sprinting away with an 86-59 win over Florida Palms.

Shawn Eley averaged 23.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per outing in the tournament to lead the way for Apprentice, while Karree Smith put up 16.5 points per game. Against Florida Palms, Jayden Eason, Adrion Wall and Clifton Goode put up double figures as well.

The Builders will now rest through the holiday break before retaking the floor in 2023 against Appalachian Bible at home on January 6 at 7 p.m.

Story courtesy gobuilders.com