Category: JMU (LA)

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, Colomb Lead All-Pensacola Classic Lineup

MILTON, Fl. – Lighthouse Christian’s Eddie Brown and Tayshaun Colomb of John Melvin (LA) led the voting for this past weekends’ Pensacola Classic and have been named as Co-MVPs for the event.

John Melvin (FL) served as host and Lighthouse provided the venue for the three-day, nine-game event which concluded Sunday evening.

  • Eddie Brown, Lighthouse, Co-MVP
  • Tayshaun Colomb, JMU (LA), Co-MVP
  • Jacquari “JJ” Johnson, JMCC (FL)
  • Darion Ramos, JMCC (FL)
  • Leonardo Rodriquez, UIC
  • Jose Rosario, Atlantis
  • Deonne Williams, Jr., JMU (LA)

SECC Gets First Conference Win 82-73 over JMU (LA)

LEESBURG, Fl. – Southeast Christian got 29 points from Nasean Rhome to pull away from John Melvin (LA) 82-73 and claim its first NSAC win Sunday night at the Leesburg Classic.

The 6’6″ sophomore scored 18 in the second half, which saw the Eagles (3-14 overall, 1-9 NSAC) lead by as many as 14 points. Jordan Stevens added 16, Keywon Lister and Karlton Walton each scored 11, and Carey Davis had 10.

Tayshaun Colomb lead the Millers (9-12, 1-8) with 21.

Image courtesy SECC Athletics

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

Mohawks Down Millers in First ‘Battle of the Melvins’

PENSACOLA, Fl. – Betting on a John Melvin win Saturday was easy money.

In the first-ever meeting between the two John Melvin campuses, Pace, Florida-based John Melvin Christian College (JMCC) defeated John Melvin University (JMU) of Crowley, Louisiana 94-81.

JMU opened the game up 7-0 before JMCC coach Colin Doss called a time out. The Mohawks gathered themselves afterward to take a lead they would not relinquish, extending the margin to as many as 23 points in the second half.

JMCC (12-3 overall, 3-1 NSAC) was led by Jacquari Johnson with 23 points with Evan Griffin contributing 17. Darion Ramos came off the bench and went 5-of-7 from three for 15 of his 17 points.

JMU dropped its fifth straight conference game to move to 9-9 overall and 1-5 in league play.

Photo courtesy JMCC

Mustangs Sweep, Builders Dominate in Day Three of Christmas Classic

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga. – Mid-Atlantic Christian upset seventh-ranked Atlantis 64-60 Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep of the NSAC North-South Christmas Classic.

The game was tied 21-21 at halftime, but the Mustangs (5-6 overall, 3-0 NSAC) separated themselves from the Atlanteans after intermission to lead by as many as 14 points. AU (6-8, 1-3) closed the gap late for the final score. Keith Shakes led MACU with 20 points.

The Mustangs defeated both John Melvin campuses on the first two days of competition to set up the trifecta on Sunday in their first NSAC games of the season.

Third-ranked Apprentice wrapped led wire-to-wire in a 90-67 win over John Melvin University Sunday afternoon.

The Builders (8-3, 2-1) opened the game on a 14-2 run that set the tone for the rest of the game. Apprentice hit their first four shots from the floor and went on to shoot 50 percent from the floor in the first half, including hitting 10-of-20 shots from downtown, on the way to a 45-32 lead at intermission.

The Millers (9-7, 1-3) trimmed the lead down to as few as seven early in the second half, but a 10-0 Builder run helped extend the lead back out to a 62-43 lead at the 13:45 mark of the second half. Apprentice pushed the lead out to as many as 28 points on multiple occasions on the way to the win.

In total, 12 Builders made their way into the scoring column with all 16 seeing at least four minutes of action. Adrion Wall paced the way with 22 points.

Sunday’s wins pushed the NSAC North Division to 5-1 in claiming the classic’s bragging rights.

Thanks to Walker McCrary/gobuilders.com for his help with this story

JMCC Knocks Off Apprentice, MACU Puts Away JMU at Christmas Classic

TOCCOA FALLS, Ga. – Trailing by as many as 27, USCAA third-ranked Apprentice mounted a massive comeback to make it a game before falling just short in a 108-101 loss to John Melvin Christian College (FL) Friday afternoon at the NSAC North-South Christmas Classic.

JMCC shot over 70 percent in the first half to take a lead as big as 27 points before sitting at a 60-35 lead at intermission. From there, the Builders started chipping away, winning each media timeout period all the way down to the under-4 when Apprentice trailed by just three at 93-90. JMCC did just enough to hold off the Builders to get the win down the stretch.

The Builders’ Donovan Means scored a career high 32 points to lead all scorers. Josh Wyatt led the Mohawks with 26. JMCC went 44-for-48 at the free throw line in the win.

In the nightcap, Mid-Atlantic Christian fell behind by double-digits in the first half, only to take the lead after intermission and pull away late to defeat John Melvin University (LA) 88-74.

Keith Shakes scored 27 points to lead the Mustangs to their first NSAC win. Richard Cassler of JMU led all scorers with 29.

The NSAC Christmas Classic is a three-day event pitting Apprentice and MACU from the North Division facing JMCC (FL), JMU (LA), and Atlantis from the South Division in a round-robin format.

Play continues Saturday at 2:00 pm Eastern time when Apprentice faces #7 Atlantis followed by John Melvin Christian College and MACU at 4:00 pm.

Thanks to Walker McCrary/gobuilders.com for his help with this story.

Lighthouse Lights it Up for First Conference Win

CROWLEY, La. – Lighthouse Christian got 35 points from Eddie Brown and 26 from Daniel Poole as the Makos outran John Melvin (LA) 111-97 for their first NSAC win of the year.

Lighthouse (3-2 overall, 1-0 NSAC) was led by Brown’s 8-of-13 (61%) shooting from beyond the arc and 12-of-25 (48%) overall while Poole was lighting it up closer to the bucket 9-of-13 (69%) and Wol Yak added 21 points at a blistering 9-of-10 (90%) clip. Marcus White recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards while Sam Benton, Jr. added 10 points and dished out eight assists in the win.

Tayshaun Colomb led the Millers (3-3, 1-1) with 29 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals.

JMU’s Colomb Named POTW

John Melvin (LA) local Tashaun Colomb has started off the season hot for the Millers and has been named the first NSAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the 2024-25 season.

The 5’6″ freshman guard is tops in USCAA in PPG (19.8) among players with at least three games and number one for steals per game (4.5). He posted a career-high 34 points against NCAA D2 Southern University at New Orleans all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Tyler Camplin of John Melvin (FL) receives Honorable Mention.

Congratulations!