Category: CIC

Builders Win Sets Up Awaited Rematch with Lighthouse for NSAC Title

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team is in very familiar territory as they will play in their fourth straight conference tournament championship game when they battle Lighthouse Christian on Sunday afternoon for the New South Athletic Conference Championship after defeating Central International Saturday 111-80.

The Builders are the defending champions of the league after running through the conference slate undefeated in the 2022-23 season. Apprentice lost just two conference games in the 2023-24 season, and one of those was to the Makos of Lighthouse Christian in a 76-73 thriller on February 15.

Apprentice wasted no time getting going Saturday against the Cardinals, jumping out to a 16-7 lead seven minutes into the contest. The Builder lead ballooned to as many as 21 in the first half and 39 in the second half on the way to the semifinal win.

Leading the way for Apprentice was Adrion Wall with a career-high 31 points, recording a double-double with 11 rebounds. Avin Hawkins added 18, while Donovan Means tallied 16. Kurij Harrell was also in double figures with 12 points on a day where every Builder that saw playing time recorded at least two points.

The championship game will take place Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. between the Builders and the Makos. Tickets to the championship game are $7 and can be purchased at GoBuilders.com. All fans must have a ticket to get into the facility. Fans should also account for extra time getting to the arena as the One City Marathon race course finishes just blocks from the gym, and most of Washington Avenue will be closed as part of the course.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics

Makos Win Sets Up Regular Season Title Match Tonight

RICHMOND, Va. – Lighthouse Christian College guard Eddie Brown poured in 30 points Wednesday afternoon in leading the Makos to their second NSAC win in less than 24 hours, 73-41, over Central International College.

The win for Lighthouse (16-4 overall, 2-1 NSAC) sets up a winner-take-all game Thursday night in Newport News, Virginia when Apprentice (19-4, 5-1) hosts the Makos. The contest is the final regular season game of the year in conference play, and the winner will claim the New South Conference regular season men’s basketball championship based on winning percentage.

While the winner will get bragging rights, it will be up to league coaches to decide who will get the top seed in the NSAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The coaches will be polled following tonight’s regular season finale to determine seeding for all six teams. The tournament will run March 1-3 in Newport News.

BLC Scoring Onslaught Too Much for CIC

APEX, N.C. – Sophomores Wol Yak and Sam Benton, Jr. scored 38 points apiece to lead Blue Lights College to an overpowering 117-72 NSAC win against Central International College Tuesday night.

BLC (11-5 overall, 4-1 NSAC) continued its torrid scoring pace, topping the century mark for the seventh time this season and the third time in the last four games. The Herd is averaging 93.3 points per game.

Junior forward Ty Rias led the Cardinals (7-10, 0-5) with 16 points.

Blue Lights travels to Elizabeth City, North Carolina on Saturday for a conference rematch with Mid-Atlantic Christian. The Thoroughbreds outpaced the Mustangs 120-113 on January 30 in Apex.

CIC steps outside the conference Saturday for a game at 11th-ranked Johnson & Wales.

Image credit Craig Green/BLC Media

CIC, Blue Lights Trade Opponents

Events over the past few weeks have had men’s basketball teams scrambling to make adjustments to continue their seasons and fill holes in their schedules. This has led to two NSAC teams trading opponents.

The departure of coach Nolan Adams from the Blue Lights sidelines in mid-season created some uncertainty as to whether the Thoroughbreds would be able to participate in Apprentice’s MLK Classic last weekend. Enter Central International College to fill in. This also allowed the Cardinals to make up the conference game with Apprentice that was postponed from December 10 due to floor conditions.

Now, it’s Blue Lights’ chance to step in. CIC is suffering attrition issues including an ankle injury starting point guard Jordan Harrington suffered during the MLK. With the Cards shorthanded, the Herd will take their place in a non-conference game Saturday at Johnson & Wales.

The NSAC game between CIC and BLC scheduled for this past Tuesday in Apex, North Carolina was postponed, but they are set to play again on Tuesday, February 6.

Photo by Austin Kehmeier on Unsplash

Apprentice 3-Point Barrage Sinks CIC

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Apprentice hit a program record 18 three pointers as the Builders raced past Central International Saturday 118-70 in the MLK Classic.

The Builders (12-3 overall, 2-0 NSAC) opened the game on a 12-0 run and led 22-5 just seven minutes into the contest before CIC (7-7, 0-3) finally got rolling, cutting the lead down to as few as eight. Apprentice, ranked number 1 in the USCAA, responded with three-pointer after three-pointer to pull away and stay unbeaten in New South Athletic Conference action.

Adrion Wall had a game-high 28 points, hitting five threes on the day. Karree Smith and Donovan Means each had 15 points, while Xavien Hunter added 13 and Avin Hawkins put up 10.

The 118 points scored is the second most all-time only behind a 2009 performance against Ohio State-Marion on February 27, 2009.

In the other MLK Classic game on the men’s side Saturday, Camp defeated UIC 87-77.

The Builders will take on UIC tomorrow at 2 p.m. to wrap up the MLK Classic.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/gobuilders.com. Photo by Mike Davis.

Great Ships Classic to Feature Two NSAC Contests

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School Department of Athletics is set to host the Great Ships Classic basketball tournament this weekend at the Apprentice School Athletics Center.

Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, six different institutions will come to Newport News to take part in the tournament. On the women’s side, Cheyney, Clinton, and Washington Adventist will participate, while the men’s side will include Central International, Central Penn, and Mid-Atlantic Christian.

Saturday at 4:00 pm, the CIC and MACU men’s teams will tangle in an NSAC rematch. The Mustangs (1-7 overall, 1-0 NSAC) nipped the Cardinals 101-77 on November 8 in Elizabeth City. On Sunday, second-ranked Apprentice (6-3) will face Central (5-4, 0-1) at 6:00 pm. It will be the Builders’ first conference game of the year.

Games each day will start at 12 p.m. with four games happening per day. The Builder basketball teams will play the first two games of the day Saturday and the last two on Sunday.

Story and Image courtesy gobuilders.com

Key Matchups Highlight Post-Thanksgiving Slate This Week

After a needed Thanksgiving Day break, New South teams return to action this week to a slate of interesting matchups. 

Blue Lights opens the week on Tuesday by hosting the JV team from Livingstone, The Thoroughbreds (4-2) hope to end a two-game slide by getting key players back from injuries. 

Wednesday night is Rivalry Night in Miami as Atlantis (3-2) hosts cross-town foe United International College.  

It’s officially called the Roger Taylor Classic, but Apprentice (5-1) and MACU (1-4) consider the weekend of games in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to be the “NSAC-USA South Showdown.” On Friday, the Builders face Greensboro College and the Thoroughbreds tackle NC Wesleyan. They switch opponents on Saturday.  

Central International (4-4) gets back to action on Monday, December 4, taking on a much-improved Patrick Henry College team.  

Lighthouse (5-2) will try to knock the rust off from a two-week layoff when it travels to Atlantis on December 6. It will mark the first-ever NSAC conference game for both teams. 

Three Ball Pushes MACU Past CIC 101-77

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian’s long-range game was the difference maker Tuesday night as the Mustangs put away Central International 101-77 in the NSAC Tipoff Classic.

The Mustangs (1-1 overall, 1-0 NSAC) shot 46.7% (14 of 30) from beyond the arc, almost as good as they did from the floor overall (46.8%). The Cardinals (3-2, 0-1) shot a good 50% from the floor, but only mustered 3 of 14 (21.4%) from three.

MACU opened on a 9-0 run before CIC got on the board, then stretched the lead to as much as 16 before intermission. Central used a 12-2 run to claw back in the second half, trimming the lead to 64-60 with less than 12 minutes to play, but could get no closer as the Herd used a 14-3 run of its own to put the game away.

“Today’s game was good for the players as they came together collectively as a group to achieve the first home game victory,” MACU coach Charles Sims said after the game. “From the onset they made up in their minds that this game was going to be a statement game. We still have areas of the game that we need to improve in, too. We will continue to take the approach of one game at a time mentality.”

Junior Carlos Raven led the Mustangs with 21 points, while CIC’s Sincere Moore led all scorers with 24.

Image courtesy USCAA Sports Network/MACU

Conference Hoops Action Tips Wednesday Night

Central International and Mid-Atlantic Christian hook up in the first NSAC game of the season Wednesday night in the NSAC Tipoff Classic at Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

With CIC just making the move from Chester to Waverly, Virginia, Cardinals coach Wayne Johnson is taking a long-term approach to the contest. “We’re trying to make sure we build as the season progresses and stay focused and disciplined, and understand the big picture is later, not necessarily right now,” said Johnson. However, the Cards have tasted some early season success, already taking a pre-season tourney title and sporting a 3-1 record.

“We’re excited about this season,” said Mustangs coach Charles Sims. “CIC will be a good early season test for us in the NSAC.” MACU is coming off a 97-91 opening loss at Carolina University on Saturday and an exhibition loss at Liberty Monday night.

CIC Suspends Rest of Season

Central International College men’s basketball coach Wayne Johnson says, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Cardinals have had to suspend the rest of their 2022-23 season.

CIC’s last game was a 86-48 home loss to Apprentice on January 7. They finish their season at 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.