MILTON, Fl. – Lighthouse Christian got 26 points apiece from Eddie Brown and Wol Yak in downing Mobile (JV) 110-78 Monday night.
The Makos (2-2) exploded for 72 points in the second half to put away the visiting Rams.
Sam Benton, Jr. and Daniel Poole each added 16 for LCC.
Lighthouse opens its NSAC season this Saturday at John Melvin (LA).
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team captured its second straight New South Athletic Conference Tournament Championship after holding off the top-seeded Lighthouse Christian Makos 58-55 Sunday afternoon.
The Builders and Makos traded buckets through the first 10 minutes before Apprentice went on a 10-2 run to stretch a one-point lead into a nine-point lead with just under eight minutes to go in the first half. The Builder lead went to as many as 12 before the Makos started chipping away, trailing by just eight at halftime.
LCC came out in the second half and caused Apprentice to turn the ball over several times, trimming the lead down to as few as two with eight minutes to go after trailing by as many as 14 early in the second half. The Makos could never get over the proverbial hump, however, as the Builders answered each run with a basket to stretch the lead back out.
Lighthouse got the lead down to one point with under 10 seconds to go, but Avin Hawkins hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to seal the win.
Adrion Wall led all scorers with 24 points, including four three pointers. Donovan Means was a rebound short of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards.
The Makos were led by Chayse Culpepper and Daniel Poole with 18 points each, while NSAC Player of the Year Eddie Brown was held to just 11 points on the day, going 5-for-20 from the floor.
With the win, Apprentice improves to 22-5 on the season as they look ahead to the USCAA National Tournament set to begin in one week in Petersburg, Virginia. The Builders have been the No. 1 team in the national coach’s poll since the start of the calendar year.
Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Top-seed Lighthouse Christian used a balance scoring attack and strong rebounding to hold off fourth-seeded Mid-Atlantic Christian 84-69 Saturday afternoon and advance to the NSAC Men’s Basketball Tournament finals.
Lighthouse jumped out toa 9-0 lead and led 50-33 at the half behind Eddie Brown’s 16 points, but MACU held Brown in check much of the second half until the NSAC MVP was forced to leave the game with cramps in both legs with 5:45 to play. The Mustangs trimmed the Makos’ lead to 10 on several occasions, but could get to closer.
All five starters scored in double figures for LCC, led by Chayse Culpeper’s 19. Joshua Tyler scored 19 to lead MACU.
Lighthouse advances to face 2nd-seed Apprentice, which defeated 6th-seed Central International 111-80. The championship game will be Sunday at 2:00 pm.
Lighthouse Christian coach Adjalma “Vando” Becheli has been named as the 2023-24 New South Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
Becheli led the Makos to the regular season championship in their first year of conference play with a 3-1 NSAC record and 18-4 overall. In their first two seasons as a program, Becheli has guided LCC to an overall record of 33-9.
Becheli hails from Brazil where he played and coached professional basketball. His professional career in Brazil spanned 13 years that included “Coach of the Year” recognition, the youngest in Brazilian basketball history to be so honored.
His first U.S. collegiate head coaching job was at Utah State Eastern, guiding the men’s basketball program from 2012 to 2020. He left Utah for the warmth of Florida and a position at Florida Coastal Prep, a program he still contributes to while leading the Makos. He also has coached and guided several players from Brazil and elsewhere to the U.S., including players to the NBA.
Congratulations to Vando Becheli, the NSAC Coach of the Year!
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Lighthouse Christian led wire to wire but had to fend off a late Apprentice rally to claim a 76-73 victory and the NSAC men’s basketball regular season championship Thursday night.
The Makos (17-4 overall, 3-1 NSAC) led by as many as 18 in the second half, but the USCAA top-ranked Builders would not go quietly. Apprentice (19-5, 5-2) clawed all the way back to cut the lead to two but could get no closer.
LCC jumped out to a big 21-7 lead just six minutes into the game before Apprentice settled in, cutting the lead to as few as one on two occasions before halftime. Lighthouse came out again in the second half and pushed the lead out to 18 before the Builders’ defense woke up and allowed them to have a chance to tie the game with five seconds left, but the shot bounced off the rim and the Makos clinched the regular season crown.
The win was the third conference victory in as many days for Lighthouse and their ninth straight overall.
For Apprentice, the loss snapped a 19-game home winning streak that dated back over a year ago to early February 2023.
Eddie Brown for Lighthouse had a game-high 30 points. Avin Hawkins led the Builders with 23 points while Adrion Wall added 12.
Karree Smith surpassed 1000 career points in his collegiate career with his first basket of the night. He finished with 15 points in 25 minutes of action. He has now scored 962 points while at Apprentice during his three years in Newport News.
NSAC teams now await the results of a coaches poll to determine seedings for the conference tournament, slated for March 1-3 at Apprentice. The results will be announced Tuesday, February 20.
Walker McCrary at Apprentice Athletics contributed to this story.
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.
APEX, N.C. – Lighthouse Christian used its height and length to frustrate Blue Lights and take a convincing 104-85 NSAC win Tuesday night.
LCC (15-4 overall, 1-1 NSAC) converted Thoroughbreds’ turnovers into points with tenacious defense while dominating the boards. The Makos led 51-47 at the half before BLC trimmed the margin to two, but that is as close as they would get.
The Makos’ Eddie Brown led the scoring with 39 points including 12 points from beyond the arc. Kalil Baker scored 25 for the Thoroughbreds.
BLC (12-6, 5-2) travels to NJCAA number 13 Sandhills on Saturday. Lighthouse faces Central International College this afternoon in Richmond, Virginia, then travels to Newport News to take on USCAA top-ranked Apprentice Thursday night.
Miami – Sophomore point guard Eddie Brown scored 30 points, including four three-pointers in the second half, to propel Lighthouse to a 77-67 win over USCAA ninth-ranked UIC Monday afternoon.
The Makos (10-4 overall, 0-1 NSAC) held a 40-37 lead at the break but pulled away behind Brown’s 18 second-half points. Brown was also 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Sophomore swingman Houston Culpepper added 12 points, and his brother, junior guard Chayse Culpepper, contributed 11.
Sophomore guard Santiago Insaurralde led the Eagle Rays (6-5) with 16 points.
Photo by Max Winkler on Unsplash
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.
