2023 All-Academic Team

The New South Athletic Conference is proud to honor the following student-athletes for their outstanding efforts on the court and in the classroom:

2023 NSAC MBB ALL-ACADEMIC (3.0 GPA minimum)
Jhalen Harris Virginia Peninsula Community College
Mekhi Reid Virginia Peninsula Community College

Jayden Eason The Apprentice School
Shawn Eley The Apprentice School
Clifton Goode The Apprentice School
Caleb Mielewski The Apprentice School
Climente’ Riddick The Apprentice School

Daishaun George Carolina Christian College
Khariq Grogins Carolina Christian College

David Echaniz Christendom College
Peter Ethridge Christendom College
Josh Pabst Christendom College
Dominic Smith Christendom College

Joe Dotson Christendom College
Bobby Vander Woude Christendom College
Michael Townsend Christendom College
Joe Curran Christendom College
Joe Castellan Christendom College
Andrew Heisler Christendom College
John Kennedy Christendom College
John Paul Vander Woude Christendom College
Michael Evich Christendom College

Junayd Hill Blue Lights College

Jajour Lambert Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Geoffrey Wellons Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Lance Maurer Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Marqueze Bone Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Jeremiah Dickerson Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Micah Colburn Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Jalen Jones Mid-Atlantic Christian University
DreShaun Brown Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Apprentice Wraps Up Undefeated NSAC Schedule

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – With a 72-56 win over Mid-Atlantic Christian Wednesday night, the Apprentice School men’s basketball team wrapped up their New South Athletic Conference schedule a perfect 11-0.

The Builders led wire-to-wire in the contest between the two top teams in the league, despite hitting just three three-pointers on the night. Apprentice led 35-26 at the break and held off each and every push the Mustangs had in the second half to extend the lead out to its final 16 point margin.

Wednesday had one of the more balanced scoring attacks the Builders have had all year with 10 different players contributing no more than 12 points on the night. Karree Smith led Apprentice with 12, followed by Avin Hawkins and CJ Highsmith with 10 each. The Builders were also +12 in the rebound column. Apprentice won the points in the paint battle, 48-20.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Builders Blow Past Bengals 98-72 on Senior Day

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – On a day where the senior class was recognized, the Apprentice School men’s basketball team took care of business against Maine-Fort Kent, 98-72, Saturday evening.

After trading baskets early, the Builders ran away, stretching the lead out to as many as 37 in the second half on the way to their seventh win over the past eight outings.

Jayden Eason and Karree Smith each put up a team-high 16 points on the game. Shawn Eley had 11. In total, 11 Builders ended the night in the scoring column shooting over 53 percent from the floor.

The Builders will play their final regular season home game on Wednesday as they host Mid-Atlantic Christian in an NSAC matchup. Tip time is 7 p.m.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Top-Ranked Sandhills Escapes BLC, 100-99

PINEHURST, N.C. – The Thoroughbreds were defeated Saturday by Sandhills Community College, 100-99 in stunning fashion on Senior Day inside Heins Gym.

Much to the surprise of the Flyers’ home crowd, BLC (8-6 overall, 2-3 NSAC) held a lead for a good portion of the first half. Trailing 6-2 early, the Herd went on an 11-2 run to take a 13-8 lead, thanks in part to a couple of three-pointers by Keyshawn Bryant. With the Thoroughbreds leading 37-32 with 4:46 left in the first half, the Flyers (24-3) responded with a 17-7 run to take a 49-44 halftime lead.

Sandhills, the top-ranked Division III NJCAA team in the country, continued to gain momentum after the break. The Flyers started the second half with a 13-1 run to increase the lead to 62-45. It took the Thoroughbreds three minutes and 30 seconds to get their first field goal: a three from forward Wol Yak.

Trailing 66-53 with 14:56 left, the Thoroughbreds started chipping away at the deficit. Much like February 7th against Virginia Peninsula, Yak started cooking and lead a furious BLC comeback. The Herd completely erased the margin with an incredible 19-6 run, culminating with point guard Sam Benton Jr putting the Thoroughbreds ahead 74-72 with 9:45 left.

Much to the chagrin of the home fans, the Thoroughbreds built a 99-89 lead with 1:53 to go. It looked like BLC was about to throw cold water on the Flyers’ senior day and shock the nation, but Sandhills caught fire. The home team scored the final 11 points, capped off by a miraculous putback by Sandhills’ Jaquan Thurman with three seconds left. Benton’s three at the buzzer was no good, and the Flyers escaped.

Wol Yak lead all scorers with 31 points and 12 rebounds, playing all 40 minutes. Benton finished with 23 points, four rebounds and four assists. Bryant added 18 points, four blocks and three steals.

Story courtesy bluelightsthoroughbreds.com

Apprentice Secures Top Seed with 40-Point Win

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The New South Athletic Conference regular season title can call Newport News home as The Apprentice School men’s basketball team dispatched Christendom, 82-42, Tuesday night.

From the opening tip, it was all Apprentice as the Builders ran away early, leading 45-15 at halftime on the back of a 7-for-13 three point shooting half. AS didn’t look back in the second half, pushing the lead out to as many as 47 in the clinching game. The Builders shot nearly 51 percent as a team, including 11 threes.

The win secures the Builders as the number one seed in the upcoming NSAC Tournament.

Avin Hawkins and Jayden Eason each had 17 points. Hawkins was 4-for-8 behind the arc, while Eason hit 7-of-11 from the floor. The Crusaders’ John Paul Vander Woude finished with 19 points.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

Tournament Implications Loom Large Tuesday Night

Tuesday’s Blue Lights home game against Virginia Peninsula Community College will play a major factor in determining first round matchups in the 2023 New South Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament.

After this weekend’s results, here are how things stand (NSAC W-L):

Apprentice 9-0*
Mid-Atlantic Christian 5-1*
Virginia Peninsula 2-3
Blue Lights 1-3
Christendom 0-3
Carolina Christian 0-6

*Clinched first round bye

Remaining NSAC games:
Apprentice: 2 (vs Christendom, vs MACU)
MACU: 3 (vs. CCC, at Apprentice, at VPCC)
VPCC: 2 (at BLC, vs MACU)
BLC: 1 (vs VPCC)
Christendom: 1 (at Apprentice)
Carolina Christian: 1 (at MACU)

Both Apprentice and MACU have clinched a bye into the semifinals.

A BLC win against Virginia Peninsula on Tuesday will lock up an opening round game for the Herd at Hope Community Church Arena, taking place during the week of February 21st. If the Gators win, it will clinch a home game for themselves as well as a guaranteed third place finish.

A Thoroughbreds loss – combined with a Christendom win at Apprentice – would secure the Crusaders a home playoff game, forcing BLC to play on the road.

The Thoroughbreds-Gators game tips off at 6:30pm EST, airing LIVE on the Thoroughbreds Sports Network on YouTube. Christendom-Apprentice tips off 30 minutes later at 7pm EST, also on YouTube.

The NSAC Basketball Tournament final four will be held February 25 and 26 in Newport News, Virginia.

Story and image courtesy Craig Green/BLC Media

Builders Survive Upset Attempt by CCC, 81-78

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Carolina Christian led twice in the final three minutes but could not close the deal as Apprentice survived the upset-minded Centurions 81-78 Saturday afternoon.

The Builders took their largest lead of the game on a Jayden Eason layup at 54-44 with 12:48 to play in the second half, but the Centurions would not fold and started to chip away at the lead. Daishaun George gave CCC a 74-73 lead off a layup with 3:08 remaining, but a Caleb Mielewski shot returned the favor for Apprentice just 12 seconds later. Two free throws by the Centurions’ Antonio Baldwin gave them a 76-75 advantage at the 1:57 mark, but another Eason bucket flipped the lead again 11 seconds later.

The teams traded buckets once again before Shawn Eley put an exclamation point on the game with a Builder dunk at :17. A George 3-point attempt missed with 2 seconds to play for the final score.

Adrion Wall came of the bench with 19 points for Apprentice, and Eley recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Reserve Eli Faybain led the Centurions with 19.

Apprentice remains undefeated in conference play at 9-0 and 14-7 overall. Carolina Christian moves to 0-5 and 3-12.

Image courtesy gobuilders.com

MACU Blunts BLC Comeback, 87-81

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – It appeared Mid-Atlantic Christian had its game against Blue Lights College well in hand, leading by 16 late in the contest, but had to hang on to survive a Thoroughbreds push and win at home, 87-81 on Saturday afternoon.

With MACU holding an 81-65 lead with under five minutes in regulation, BLC launched a comeback attempt, scoring 16 of the game’s final 22 points, only to fall short.

“We played well,” said Mustangs head coach Charles Sims. “The plan today was just to have fun playing. As a team we needed this. With all the ups and downs of the season and the in-house situations that come with every team, this was an important victory.”

“We had self-inflicted wounds against a good team,” Thoroughbreds coach Nolan Adams explained. “We can’t survive that.”

Talik Totten led four Mustangs in double figures with 23 points. Two Thoroughbreds recorded double-doubles: Sam Benton, Jr. scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Keyshawn Bryant had 20 and 14, respectively.

The win keeps MACU a step behind Apprentice in the NSAC standings at 5-1 and 10-8 overall. Blue Lights remains tied for third with Virginia Peninsula at 1-3 and 7-5.

Apprentice Finishes Regular Season Sweep of VPCC

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team needed free throws down the stretch to take down Virginia Peninsula Community College Wednesday night in a 61-55 thriller.

The two teams voted atop the New South Athletic Conference preseason poll showed why they were picked there in a back-and-forth affair. After the Builders took a five point lead into intermission, they stormed away early in the second half to lead by as many as 15 before the Gators clawed back into the game, trimming the lead to as few as two with under 30 seconds to go. Apprentice hit four straight free throws in the waning moments to clinch the win.

Shawn Eley led the Builders in scoring with 13 points, while Karree Smith added 11. Caleb Mielewski put up 10 off the bench. Eley finished with a double-double, securing 12 rebounds on the night.

Apprentice improves to 8-0 at the top of the NSAC standings and 13-6 overall, while VPCC drops to 1-3 and 8-6, respectively.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

MACU Toughs Out Win at Christendom, 80-69

FRONT ROYAL, Va. – Freshman forward Jalen Jones chalked 17 points to lead Mid-Atlantic Christian to 80-69 NSAC win at Christendom Saturday afternoon.

“It was the kind of game we expected with Christendom,” said MACU coach Charles Sims. “Our games have always been competitive and tight.”

The Mustangs led by three at halftime, 37-34, and were able to turn up the defensive intensity in the second half.

“Christendom never backs down, and they are disciplined, so we knew what to expect,” said Sims. “It was good to get this win on the road.”

The Crusaders were coming off another tight New South game just the night before, a 70-63 home loss to Apprentice.

MACU improved to 4-1 in league play and 9-7 overall, while the Crusaders moved to 0-3 and 5-8, respectively.