Category: Beacon

Beacon Forfeits Four Games Due to Ineligible Player

The USCAA has informed Beacon College that it must forfeit four men’s basketball games, including wins over Lighthouse and John Melvin (LA), due to the use of an ineligible player.

The games included all three NSAC contests during the Leesburg Classic in January, plus a non-conference contest against Trinity College of Florida. Beacon had recorded wins in three of the four games.

“We affirm the importance of upholding the integrity of intercollegiate competition and appreciate the guidance of the USCAA in ensuring compliance with its regulations,” Beacon president Dr. George Hagerty stated in an email to the effected schools and the NSAC.

“We appreciate Beacon’s commitment to fairness and sportsmanship,” said NSAC commissioner Mike Davis. “Their administration was forthcoming and open throughout the process, and that does not go unappreciated.”

The forfeits mean Beacon drops to 3-7 and 7th place in conference play. It also erases Lighthouse’s only conference loss, propelling the Makos atop the standings with a two-game series against second-place John Melvin (FL) taking place over the next five days to close out the regular season.

What We Know with One Week to Go

We have just one week (eight days actually, if you count today, but I digress) until the 2024-25 NSAC men’s basketball regular season comes to a close, thereby completing the seedings for the tournament, AND YET there are still questions to be answered! It’s been that kind of a ride. But here’s what we DO KNOW as of today:

  1. The top four spots are a crap shoot. John Melvin (FL) and Lighthouse are tied for first and are scheduled to play twice this week. Apprentice and MACU are tied for third with the Builders holding the tiebreaker, but these two teams will also play TONIGHT in Newport News, so that tiebreaker is a moot point. Suffice it to say, the three remaining games among these four will settle the order, with various combinations of wins and losses determining the top four seeds, but none of them can fall lower than fourth. So there.
  2. Beacon and SC Central are tied for fifth, but the Blazers’ conference schedule is complete while the Gladiators host Southeast Christian next Sunday. If S4C wins, it will claim fifth outright and Beacon will fall to sixth. Vice versa if Southeast wins. More on that in a moment.
  3. Atlantis is locked into seventh. Thus it has been decreed, thus it shall be.
  4. JMU (LA) is eighth, and Southeast is ninth, regardless if the Eagles win in South Carolina next weekend. Thus, the Millers and Eagles will face off in the lone first round game on Thursday, February 27 for the right to tackle the top seed the following day. Talk about incentive.

And there you have it. The picture at the top will start to clear a bit once tonight’s Battle in the Bay is over and attention turns to the first of two Pensacola Pileups. Gosh, this is fun.

Photo by Thomas T on Unsplash

Brown, Ramos Lead All-Classic Team

Participating coaches in this week’s Leesburg Classic have named six players to the All-Classic Team, led by two standouts.

Eddie Brown of Lighthouse Christian and Darion Ramos of John Melvin (FL) tied for the most ballots and have been named Co-Most Valuable Players for the event.

Congrats to each player and team for a great weekend!

  • Eddie Brown, Lighthouse (Co-MVP)
  • Darion Ramos, JMCC (FL) (Co-MVP)
  • Tyler Camplin, JMCC (FL)
  • Jared Carter, Beacon College
  • Santiago Insaurralde, Atlantis
  • Naysean Rhome, Southeast Christian

Mohawks Hold Off Blazers in 2 OTs

LEESBURG, Fl. – John Melvin (FL) led for almost the entire game but needed two overtime periods to put away a diehard Beacon College squad 114-112 on the final day of the NSAC Leesburg Classic.

“Did we just win the Game of the Year Award?” asked Mohawks coach Colin Doss after the win.

The Mohawks (17-3 overall, 7-1 NSAC) put five players in double figures led by Josh Wyatt’s 23 points and Darion Ramos, who went 5-for-7 from long range to chalk 20 points. Beacon (8-10 overall, 5-3 NSAC) was led by Jared Carter who poured in 29.

JMCC was the only team to make it unscathed out of Classic, which pitted six teams in a three-day round robin format.

Beacon Outshines Lighthouse 69-66

LEESBURG, Fl. – Beacon College got 25 points from Jared Carter and 21 from Jordique Vincent in handing Lighthouse its first loss in conference play 69-66 Sunday night during day two action at the Leesburg Classic.

The Makos’ Eddie Brown hit a three-pointer with less than two seconds to play that would have tied the game but was called for a double-dribble before the shot.

“It was a gritty game,” said Blazers’ coach Sam Vincent, “and we fell behind late by four or six points, but fought our way back at the end.”

Beacon (8-9 overall, 5-2 NSAC) moves into fifth place in the conference standings while Lighthouse (16-3, 6-1) drops into a tie with John Melvin (FL) for second behind Mid-Atlantic Christian. The Makos and Mohawks are still scheduled to face each other twice, while the Mustangs travel to fourth-place Apprentice this Wednesday night, January 29.

Leesburg Classic Dates Moved Due to Gulf Snow

The NSAC Leesburg Classic, originally scheduled to begin this Friday, January 24, has been moved back one day due to the unprecedented snowstorm which has iced in much of the Gulf States and prohibiting travel. The games will now begin on Saturday, January 25 and run through Monday, January 27.

REVISED SCHEDULE

Leesburg Classic, Jan. 25-27, 2025

The Nest, Southeast Christian College, 10516 Treadway School Road, Leesburg Florida 34788

Saturday, 1/25

  • 4pm Atlantis vs Lighthouse
  • 6pm Southeast vs John Melvin (FL)
  • 8pm Beacon vs John Melvin (LA)

Sunday, 1/26

  • 2pm Atlantis vs John Melvin (FL)
  • 4pm Beacon vs Lighthouse
  • 6pm Southeast vs John Melvin (LA)

Monday, 1/27

  • 4pm Atlantis vs John Melvin (LA)
  • 6pm Beacon vs John Melvin (FL)
  • 8pm Southeast vs Lighthouse

Admissions for the Leesburg Classic:

Adults: $10 per day, Classic Pass (includes all 3 days) $25

Students: $5 per day, Classic Pass (includes all 3 days) $10

CashApp and cash accepted at the door

Makos Pick Up Two Wins in Leesburg

LEESBURG, Fl. – Lighthouse Christian made the most of its two-night junket to Leesburg, Florida, picking up NSAC wins over Beacon and Southeast Christian on consecutive nights.

The Makos (6-2 overall, 3-0 NSAC) fell behind early on Monday night to the Blazers, who played inspired ball and took an early six-point advantage, but a 12-0 LCC run put the Makos on top for good. After leading by as many as 20 points, Beacon (2-8, 1-1) chipped away to close the gap to 87-74 at the buzzer.

After playing Monday’s game on Southeast’s home floor, the Makos felt right at home on Tuesday night, jumping out to 7-0 and 14-4 advantages over the struggling Eagles (0-8, 0-5) and never looked back in cruising to a 105-68 victory.

The wins catapult Lighthouse to the top of the NSAC standings.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Carter Named NSAC Player of the Week

When Beacon College opponents warn, “Shooter!”, to their teammates, it can only mean one thing:

Jared Carter is open.

The 6’5″ guard from Sparta, Tennessee is indeed a shooter and a good one, averaging 48.8 percent from long range, ranking 4th in the USCAA among players having taken at least 40 shots from beyond the arc (he’s actually in something of a slump. He chalked 65.1 percent in junior college). Carter averages 20.9 points per game, second only to his teammate Ernesto Hichez among D1 players through eight games.

Carter’s 34 points led the Blazers to 99-91 upset over #8 Atlantis on Friday night, giving BC its first NSAC win. For his efforts, Jared Carter is the NSAC Player of the Week.

Congrats, Jared!

Image courtesy beaconcollege.edu

Blazers Stun Atlantis for First Conference Win 99-91

LEESBURG, Fl. – Beacon College picked up a win in its NSAC opener Friday night with a 99-91 victory over USCAA 8th-ranked Atlantis.

The Blazers (2-7 overall, 1-0) jumped out early lead that ballooned to 15 points. The Atlanteans began to claw back toward the end of the first half, trimming the deficit to 50-41 at the intermission.

Emerging from halftime, Atlantis (4-5, 1-1) showcased a renewed spirit and tenacity. Demonstrating heightened defensive pressure, the visitors turned the tides momentarily and retook the lead, but the Blazers quickly reclaimed control of the game expanding their lead back to double digits. AU mounted a fierce comeback as the clock wound down, reducing the gap to just four points. However, a flurry of late fouls proved detrimental, allowing Beacon to methodically extend their lead through free throws, sealing the hard-fought victory.

This loss marks the fourth consecutive setback for Atlantis after four straight wins.

Story and image courtesy athleticsau.com

Beacon Shines for First Win of the Year

LEESBURG, Fl. – In a game that was tied at intermission, Beacon College broke it open late in the second half to claim its first win of the year 80-73 over Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Monday night.

Ernesto Hichez, a 6’6″ freshman forward from the Dominican Republic, carded a double-double in the victory with 30 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Blazers (1-4 overall, 0-0 NSAC). Six-foot-five guard Jared Carter, a junior from Sparta, Tennessee, added 21 points. Both players had the hot hand with Hichez shooting a blistering 13-of-19 (68%) from the field, mainly on driving layups, and Carter connecting on 7-of-13 (54%), many of those from outside. The Blazers as a whole were in the zone, shooting 54% on the night.

Beacon returns to action Wednesday taking on the Edward Waters JV squad in Jacksonville, Florida.