Category: MACU

Mustangs Hold Off Centurions, 84-72

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half today to hold off Carolina Christian 84-72 in New South men’s basketball.

The Mustangs (7-7 overall, 3-1 NSAC) led by 15 at the half, 42-27, but the Centurions kept is close with their fast-break in the second half. MACU used a balanced attack and got all players in the scoring column, led by Talik Totten’s 22 points.

“This was definitely a full team effort,” said MACU coach Charles Sims. “It was a times challenging due to the uptempo game play of Carolina Christian and that took us out of our style of playing. But we managed to overcome and get our rhythm to secure the victory.”

CCC (3-10 overall, 0-4 NSAC) leaned heavily on its star forward, junior Daishawn George, who recorded a double-double with 31 points and 13 boards.

Totten Gifts MACU with Winning Bucket

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian senior Talik Totten decided to give his team a gift on his birthday. The guard from Ahoskie, NC drained a three with 4.2 seconds remaining to lift MACU to a 70-68 win over visiting Virginia Peninsula in the Mustang’s NSAC opener.

The victory, and how they obtained it, was a test for head coach Charles Sims’ team.

“I saw something new emerge from the team tonight that I knew we have had all the time and that was true grit and just the determination to get it done,” said Sims. “This was yet another game that pushed us to another level.”

That level is now a statistical tie with Apprentice atop the NSAC standings. The Herd improved to 6-6 overall with the win. VPCC dropped to 7-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Each team fought hard with nine lead changes and eight ties. Neither team led by more than 8 points.

MACU’s Noah Richardson-Keys led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Totten added 16 points, including the game winner.

“For him to hit that shot at a pivotal moment that secured the lead was awesome,” beamed Sims after the game.

The Gators’ Javion Majette led VPCC with 17 points while Keshaun Johnson marked a double-double, 14 points along with 10 boards.

Flames’ 3-Point Barrage Burns Mustangs

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty knocked down a season-high 20 three-pointers in its final non-conference game and final game before Christmas, winning 88-50 over visiting Mid-Atlantic Christian at Liberty Arena.

Leading 9-7 in the early going, Liberty used a 22-6 run to build a 31-13 lead with 8:21 to play in the opening half. Jonathan Jackson knocked down his first two threes of the game during that spurt.

Liberty finishes its non-conference portion of the schedule with a 9-4 record. The Flames are 7-1 over their last eight contests. MACU’s record remains at 4-5. The Mustangs counted today’s game as an exhibition.

Liberty Individuals: Jonathan Jackson 23 points, 8-10 FG, 7-9 3FG; Brody Peebles 16 points, 4-7 3FG, 4 assists; Darius McGhee 14 points, 5-10 FG, 4-9 3FG; Zach Cleveland 6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks

Mid-Atlantic Christian Individuals: Micah Colburn 13 points, 5-10 FG, 3 rebounds; Noah Richardson-Keys 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals

Story and image courtesy liberty.edu

Mustangs Assessing Strengths, Weaknesses

Since achieving its number eight ranking in the first USCAA Division 1 men’s basketball poll earlier this month, the Mid-Atlantic Christian University Mustangs have cooled off from their early season start, dropping three of four contests to fall to 4-4 overall. The latest of those was a 76-71 loss at Carolina University on Saturday. First-year head coach Charles Sims is taking this as an opportunity for evaluation.

“We have to continue to improve in our weak areas of the game to achieve victories in games like these, said Sims. “This was yet another learning experience that we will build upon to get better and get us to that next level where the outcome of the game will be different.”

MACU led by 11 at halftime, but the Bruins took control going into the break.

“Saturday’s game was a contest that really pushed us to our limits,” Sims appraised. “The first half and the second half were two different games for us. The players played hard and met the challenges and our first half goals, and our defense allowed us to capitalize off of the Bruins turnovers in the first half, and as a team we only committed 3 turnovers in the first half.”

But then…

“Carolina University was able to hit a 3-pointer before halftime which gave them momentum into the half. At times in the second half we did not execute well. The Bruins had a plan, and they executed it to perfection in the second half: Get the ball in (Bruins senior guard) Micah Cooper’s hands and let him drive to the basket. He had too many free throw attempts for this game, which made the difference.”

Cooper finished with 28 points, including 14 of 17 from the charity stripe, and 10 rebounds. By contrast, the Mustangs had a total of 14 trips to the free throw line for the game, making nine of them.

MACU Senior Talik Totten matched Cooper’s 28 points to lead Mustang scoring. Noah Richardson-Keys added 13.

The Mustangs will next be in action on Saturday hosting Pitt Community College.

Image courtesy stretchinternet.com

Totten’s Big Weekend Propels Him to POTW

Mid-Atlantic Christian senior guard Talik Totten has been named at the New South Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Totten helped Mid-Atlantic Christian win on Saturday against Christendom, providing 22 points with 12 of those points coming from the 3-point line. In the Mustangs’ game against Greensboro, Totten gave his team 31 points off of 12-17 from the floor and 6-9 from the 3-point line. Totten was named to the Roger Taylor All-Classic Team for his play in the three-day tournament.

Congratulations, Talik!

Totten’s 31 Not Enough as MACU Falls to GC

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – Nationally 8th-ranked Mid-Atlantic Christian hoped to get two out of three for the weekend after its win on Saturday, but came up short to Greensboro College 97-80 in the Roger Taylor Invitational in Rocky Mount, N.C.

MACU (4-3 overall, 0-0 NSAC) controlled the first 10 minutes of the first half and kept the lead, until Greensboro junior Amillia Huggins would put the Pride ahead for the first time, 23-22, after hitting two free throws. However, the Mustangs did not back down and recaptured the lead on a jumper by sophomore Micah Colburn, then going up by four on free throws by Jeremiah Dickerson and Jajour Lambert. With 4:09 remaining in the half, the Pride’s Grant Thompson got out on the fast break and finished it with a dunk, tying the game again, 30-30. Isaiah Pruett gave Greensboro the lead again when he drained a three-pointer and they would not relinquish it, allowing the Pride to head into the locker room with a seven-point advantage, 42-35.

GC senior Kevon Wright got things started in the second half, with a layup in the paint and on the next possession he followed that up with a three-point basket and then a layup, giving Greensboro its first double digit lead, 49-35.

MACU senior Talik Totten led all scorers with 31 points off of 12-17 shooting from the floor and 6-9 from the 3-point line. Totten was named to the Roger Taylor All-Classic Team for his play in the three-day tournament.

The Mustangs dropped a 79-52 decision to host NC Wesleyan on Friday before notching a home win over Christendom 64-49 on Saturday.

Story courtesy greensborocollegesports.com

Mustangs Split First Two Games of Three-Game Weekend

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian fell short in its bid to finally knock off an eastern North Carolina on Friday night, but took a bounce back win at home on Saturday.

USCAA 8th-ranked MACU suffered through a bad shooting performance (30%) at NC Wesleyan 79-52 to begin a three-game weekend. “As a team, we did not shoot well at all from the floor, free throws or from the threes,” Mustangs coach Charles Sims said after the loss. “Too many costly turnovers, forced and unforced, was also a contributing factor. We had moments defensively where we could not get stops, and until we get better defensively as a team against these Division 3 opponents, we will have problems.”

But the Mustangs found their touch in the first half on Saturday afternoon, shooting 48.6% for the half and 42.4% for the game while holding visiting Christendom College to 31% for the game, in a 64-49 win.

“It was a good bounce-back win today,” Sims said. “Christendom never stopped coming at us. Our defense stepped up with a better performance and our shooting percentage improved from Friday night.”

Talik Totten led MACU (4-2 overall, 0-0 NSAC) with 22 points.

The Mustangs wrap up their 3-game weekend on Sunday taking on Greensboro College in the Roger Taylor Invitational at NC Wesleyan in Rocky Mount.

Image courtesy USCAA Sports Network

MACU Faces “Championship Run” This Weekend

After an extended Thanksgiving break that saw Apprentice as the only team in action, NSAC teams ramp back up with five of the league’s six men’s basketball teams on the floor this weekend. But for Mid-Atlantic Christian, it’s not just a post-turkey exercise.

It’s Championship Weekend.

“I told the guys that this is our championship,” said Mustangs coach Charles Sims. “We have three games in three days, and we want to be 6-1 at the end of it.”

With its only loss at NCAA Division 1 NC Central on November 16, MACU is off to one of the best starts in program history, and with the Mustangs sporting a number 8 ranking in the latest USCAA Division 1 coaches poll, Sims sees this weekend as an opportunity.

“We are 0-12 against NC Wesleyan. We need to fix that,” Sims said. The Mustangs face the D3 Bishops in Rocky Mount, NC on Friday night, but that’s just the start. They host familiar USCAA foe Christendom on Saturday, then return to Rocky Mount to take on D3 Greensboro College on Sunday, a stretch that takes on a resemblance to a national championship tournament.

In other games, USCAA seventh-ranked Apprentice hosts Cheyney and Virginia Peninsula travels to Mountain Gateway, both on Saturday. On Sunday, Blue Lights visits VPCC in the Gators’ conference opener while Carolina Christian rolls down I-40 to take on Greensboro Prep.

Apprentice, MACU Crack Top 10 Polls

Congratulations to Apprentice and Mid-Atlantic Christian, who placed both of their men’s and women’s basketball teams in the first USCAA Coaches Polls of the season.

The Builders placed seventh on the men’s side and ninth for the women, while the Mustangs come in at eighth and tenth, respectively.

Mustangs Rout Crusaders 111-66

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian sprinted to a 13-0 lead in its home opener and never looked back in running away from The Crown College (TN) 111-66 in men’s basketball Saturday afternoon.

“The team came out focused and on a mission for today’s game,” said Mustangs coach Charles Sims. “We were able to set the tone and control tempo of the game from the onset. Each player knew what was expected and followed the game plan to precision.”

MACU (3-1 overall, 0-0 NSAC) shot 55.6% for the game and scored 38 points off turnovers while holding Crown (1-4) to just 6.

Senior guard Talik Totten led the scoring with 31 points while shooting a blistering 13 of 15 from the field (86.6%), including 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. Noah Richardson-Keys added 16, Micah Coburn contributed 14, and three other Mustangs added 13 points each in a game where every MACU player but one got into the scoring column. Justin Barrett led the Royal Crusaders with 14.

In spite of the 45-point final margin, Sims says the Herd has room for improvement. “We still have work to do in certain areas of the game to really reach our full potential. Until we achieve that, we will not be satisfied,” added Sims.