Category: MACU

Mustangs Shock WAU 63-61

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian used a balanced scoring attack to down Washington Adventist 63-61 Wednesday night in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

The Mustangs (2-1) put eight players in the scoring column including four with double digits in claiming their first back-to-back wins over NAIA opponents. MACU defeated St. Andrews 78-75 on Saturday.

Transfer Janus Shepherd led all scorers with 14 while Stewart Clough and Keigh Shakes, Jr. each added 13, and senior point guard Carlos Raven chalked a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Jalen Anderson and Chase Cook each scored 12 points for the Shock.

The Herd travels to Rock Hill, South Carolina this Saturday to face NCCAA foe Clinton College. The Golden Bears have claimed consecutive NSAC victims in Atlantis and SC Central.

Lighthouse Outshines MACU in NSAC Semis

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.

MACU Downs Atlantis in Opening Round Thriller

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Fourth-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian got 26 points from Carlos Raven, including 12 from beyond the arc, to hold off a determined Atlantis University squad 82-70 in the quarterfinals of the New South Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament Friday afternoon.

After leading by as many as eight in the first half, the Mustangs (8-16) held a 36-32 advantage at the break. The fifth-seeded Atlanteans (7-15) clawed back in the second half to lead by as many as six before MACU pulled away for the final score.

Noah Richardson-Keys added 19 for the Mustangs while Joshua Tyler had 11 and Dre-Shaun Brown chipped in 10.

Keifer Chow led Atlantis with 21 points, Nikko Landon contributed 17, Jose Rosario added 14, and Vaughn Brown had 11.

MACU advances to face top-seed Lighthouse Christian Saturday at 2:00 pm. In the other semifinal, 2nd-seed Apprentice will take on 6th-seed Central International at 4:00 pm.

Apprentice Holds On for 85-80 Win Over MACU

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team found themselves in a battle Tuesday night and ended up on the winning side of an 85-80 matchup against Mid-Atlantic Christian in New South Athletic Conference play.

The top-ranked Builders (19-4 overall, 5-1 NSAC) came out red hot to take an 11-2 lead early before the Mustangs settled in. Apprentice took a 12-point lead at 29-17 with just over eight minutes to go, but MACU answered with a 12-0 run to tie the game up before taking their first lead moments later at 30-29.

After AS retook the lead and held it at halftime, 42-35, the Builders and Mustangs traded blows throughout the entire second half. MACU (8-16, 3-4) cut the lead down to as few as two with 34 seconds to go, but could get no closer as the Builders held on for the win.

Karree Smith finished with 20 points to lead the way for Apprentice, while Adrion Wall scored all 15 of his points in the second half. Donovan Means had 11 points, and Kelby Saunders, Jr., finished the night with 10.

The win, coupled with Blue Lights’ loss Tuesday to Lighthouse Christian, puts Apprentice in sole possession atop the NSAC standings. The Builders will wrap up NSAC play Thursday as they host Lighthouse at 7 p.m.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Mustangs Down Atlanteans on Senior Day 80-67

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian got big production from a pair of sophomores to hold off USCAA seventh-ranked Atlantis 80-67 in an NSAC game Sunday afternoon.

Sophomores Noah Richardson-Keys and Joshua Tyler both finished the game with double-doubles. Richardson-Keys had 25 points and 14 rebounds while and Tyler added 22 points and 12 boards. The Mustangs also honored their senior Talik Totten, who scored 14 points with 6 rebounds in the last home game in his career as a Mustang. 

The Atlanteans’ Tyric Francois led all scorers with 28 points.

It was MACU’s second consecutive win over a USCAA ranked opponent. The Mustangs slipped past then-fifth-ranked Manor 98-91 on January 27.

MACU (6-15 overall, 3-3 NSAC) will finish its conference regular season on the road Tuesday, February 13 at top-ranked Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia. Atlantis (9-14, 1-2) has concluded its NSAC schedule and will face Regent on Monday in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The NSAC tournament seedings will be decided by a coaches poll and announced Monday, February 19.

BLC Holds MACU at Bay 92-83

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Blue Lights College continued to stake its claim for the top seed in the upcoming NSAC men’s basketball tournament with a 92-83 conference win at Mid-Atlantic Christian Saturday afternoon.

MACU (5-15 overall, 2-3 NSAC) opened up a 5-0 lead in the first minute and 21 seconds, but the Thoroughbreds (12-5, 5-1) would tie the game three times before taking a 16-14 lead on a Jaye Bookhart field goal at 13:55. Elijah Cox would tie the game again for the Mustangs on two free throws 13 seconds later, but a 2-pointer by Sam Benton Jr. at 13:15 to play in the first would give BLC a lead they would never relinquish.

Blue Lights would hold a 50-45 advantage at halftime and extend it to as many as 14, 80-66, with 7:54 remaining.

Benton’s double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds led a balanced attack for the Thoroughbreds, who had five players in double-figure scoring. Noah Richardson-Keys led MACU with a double-double of 26 points and 10 boards.

Image courtesy USCAA Sports Network and MACU Athletics

Royals Stun Mustangs with Game-Winning Layup

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian led by as many as 16 points in the second half but a buzzer-beating layup closed the deal as the Mustangs fell to non-conference rival Regent 82-80 Wednesday night.

MACU (5-14 overall, 2-2 NSAC) started with a strong lead and led by 14 points at halftime, pushing the margin to 16 early in the second half, but the visiting Royals (1-14) began to chip away and took their first lead at 69-68 with less than six minutes to play. Neither team could gain separation after that, and a Darrin Clark layup with 2.7 seconds remaining was the difference maker.

Leading the Mustangs was sophomore Noah Richardson-Keys with 27 points, four steals, and seven rebounds. Senior Talik Totten followed with 19 points while sophomore Joshua Tyler added 17.

Clark led the Royals with 19 points.

MACU hosts Blue Lights College Saturday at 2:00 pm.

Image courtesy regentroyals.com

Blue Lights Holds Off MACU Rally in Shootout 120-113

APEX, N.C. – It was an offense-lover’s dream.

Blue Lights College and Mid-Atlantic Christian set a new record for points scored in an NSAC contest Tuesday night as the Thoroughbreds held off a late Mustang rally 120-113.

BLC (10-5 overall, 3-1 NSAC) scored the first five points and continued the scoring onslaught until halftime, leading 63-47 at the break. They increased the lead to as many as 19 in the second half before MACU began to chip away at the margin.

Mid-Atlantic (4-13, 2-2) maintained its poise and began to convert turnovers into points, eventually trimming the lead to four before the Thoroughbreds used the free throw line to seal the deal in the final minute.

Point guard Sam Benton, Jr. set a new BLC scoring with 47 points, eclipsing the old mark of 45 set by Jorge Garcia in 2018.

The win puts Blue Lights in a tie with Apprentice for second place in the NSAC standings at 3-1 with both teams claiming a win over the other. Atlantis remains technically at the top, having won its only conference game to this point.

MACU Knocks Off #5 Manor 98-91

JENKINTOWN, Pa. – Mid-Atlantic Christian put together what could arguably be its best performance of the season in defeating Manor College on the road Saturday afternoon 98-91.

The Mustangs (4-12 overall, 2-1 NSAC) trailed by six at the half, but regrouped after the intermission to take the lead and pull away for the win over the USCAA fifth-ranked Blue Jays (7-3).

“This game had a lot on the line for the team,” said MACU coach Charles Sims. “Another opportunity, this time facing the number five-ranked team in USCAA DI men’s basketball. The players each knew how much this game meant in order for us to turn around the season. They made up in their minds that we would not go back to Elizabeth City with a loss, and we didn’t.”

Three Mustangs recorded double-doubles, led by Noah Richardson-Keys who lit it up for a game-high 37 points with 11 rebounds and five assists. Josh Tyler drained 23 points with 10 boards, and Carlos Raven contributed 17 and 10, respectively.

MACU continues its road stretch Tuesday at NSAC opponent Blue Lights College.

Photo credit Charles Sims/MACU Athletics

Bruin Rally Spoils Hot Mustang Start 89-80

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian raced out to a 20-0 lead but failed to hold off Carolina University’s comeback in falling 89-80 Saturday.

The Mustangs (3-11 overall, 2-0 NSAC), looking to turn around their fortunes in what had been a disappointing start to their season, looked like world beaters in the opening five minutes of the contest. But the Bruins (4-12) began to claw back into the game and trimmed the margin to nine, 43-34, at the half. The second frame belonged to CU, who shot 64.7% after intermission to pull away for the win. Carolina made good use of its reserves, holding a 29-4 advantage in points off the bench.

Noah Richardson-Keys led the Herd with 22 points. Talik Totten and Josh Tyler added 16 points each, and Carlos Raven contributed 13. Carolina’s Adam Claybourne led all scorers with 26.