Thoroughbreds Weather Centurion Rally, 111-102

APEX, N.C. – Blue Lights College ran out to an early 22-point lead, then survived the anticipated Carolina Christian comeback for its first win of the season, 111-102 in Apex, NC on Tuesday night.

The Thoroughbreds came out of the gate clicking with their fast-break offense scoring at will, and led 28-6 just 7:20 into the game. It was then that CCC settled into its game and began the long, methodical road back, closing the gap to within seven before settling for a 48-38 halftime deficit.

But the Centurions weren’t done. After the break, junior forward Daishawn George led CCC back with his work in the paint and the Centurions took their first lead, 94-93, with 3:40 remaining. The two teams would trade the lead two more times before the Horses would finally manage the clock and claim their first NSAC win.

“This was a really great test for us,” Blue Lights coach Nolan Adams said. “I told the guys this week that Carolina Christian would not go away, whether they were down 20 or 40, up or down, they would keep coming at us, and they did. They’re super well-coached and they work super hard, and they kept coming at us for 40 minutes. We were able to withstand the run and make a bigger run of our own, and we were able to put the game away.”

BLC (1-2 overall, 1-1 NSAC) needed another outstanding performance by freshman forward Wol Yak to get its first conference win. Yak finished with 42 points, including 26 in the second half, along with 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 assists. Frontcourt mate Keyshawn Bryant recorded a double-double with 22 points and 18 boards. Freshman point guard Sam Benton added 24 points.

Carolina Christian dropped to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in New South play.

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.

Mustangs Fall to NCCU

DURHAM – Mid-Atlantic Christian suffered its first official loss of the season Tuesday night 109-50 at NCAA D1 NC Central.

“This game has some positives for us to take away,” said MACU coach Charles Sims after the loss in Durham. “The team never stopped fighting against this Division 1 opponent. Games like these just prepare us for our upcoming games.”

Senior guard Talik Totten led MACU (2-1) with 13 points, and freshman forward Noah Richardson-Keys provided 11 points for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs return to Elizabeth City to face Crown College (TN) on Saturday at noon. “I’m looking forward to see the team bounce back and play our home opener,” added Sims.

Yak Named Player of the Week

Wol Yak of Blue Lights College has been named the first New South Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the 2022-23 season.

Yak’s college basketball career got off to an impressive start this past week. The 6-6 freshman led his team in scoring in both games on the road. For the week, Yak totaled 49 points, 19 boards, 2 blocks, and 2 steals (avg 24.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal), while shooting an impressive 52% from the field and 37% from 3.

Yak is the brother of former Thoroughbreds forward Yak Yak.

Congratulations to Wol Yak, the NSAC Player of the Week!

Apprentice Thwarts Upset Bid, Again

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – In a game reminiscent of its conference opener just four nights ago, Apprentice held off a New South opponent with upset on its mind for a close win, this time an 87-80 win over visiting Central International.

The Builders (2-1 overall, 2-0 NSAC) pushed out to lead by as many as 12 in the first half, only to have the Cardinals launch into a 9-2 run going into intermission trailing 40-34. The Redbirds also manufactured an 11-0 outburst early in the second half to take their first lead of the game, 52-51, and exchanged the lead with AS several times until the final two minutes. CIC (0-1, 0-1) would pull within one at 81-80 with 1:43 left, but the Builders would score the last six points of the game to seal the deal.

Apprentice defeated Blue Lights on Tuesday in the opener for both schools, 80-73.

This was the season opener for CIC.

Central All-Conference guard Ty Rias scored 23 points to lead all scorers while Apprentice’s Shawn Eley recorded a double-double (21 points, 15 rebounds).

Builders Slip at Shenandoah 63-58

WINCHESTER, Va. – The Apprentice School men’s basketball team dropped a nailbiter in a non-conference game at Shenandoah Thursday night, 63-58.

The Builders (1-1) and Hornets went back-and-forth throughout the game with neither team leading by more than seven points. With 2:45 to play, Avin Hawkins hit a layup to tie the game at 55-55 before Shenandoah finished the night on an 8-3 run to take the win.

The Builders cut the Hornet lead to two points with just three ticks left on the clock but could get no closer.

Apprentice returns home on Saturday to face NSAC foe Central International at 4:00 pm.

Story courtesy gobuilders.com; image courtesy suhornets.com

Builders Hold off Feisty Thoroughbreds in Conference Opener

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – After fighting to a 32-32 draw at halftime, Apprentice pulled away from Blue Lights in the game’s final 10 minutes to claim an 80-73 win in the season opener for both teams.

The Builders (1-0 overall, 1-0 NSAC) led by as many as 10 down the stretch, but BLC always seemed to have an answer, most often a three pointer, to get the lead manageable again. Blue Lights (0-1, 0-1) actually outshot Apprentice 39.7% to 36.5%, but the Builders made the most of their rebounds, outscoring the Herd 23-13 on second chances.

BLC’s Wol Yak led all scorers with 23 points. Apprentice’s Adrion Wall came off the bench to lead the Builders with 21.

It was the season and conference opener for both squads.

First Conference Tilt of Season Tips Tonight

Apprentice School and Blue Lights College are wasting no time jumping into the conference schedule as they will start their seasons with the New South Conference Tip-Off Classic tonight in Virginia Beach.

The Builders are coming off a 14-15 campaign that saw them advance to the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference finals and the USCAA tournament. Apprentice is picked to finish second in the NSAC under the leadership of veteran coach Evan Kee.

The Thoroughbreds finished 18-12 in ’21-22 but sport a fresh new lineup and are led by first year coach Nolan Adams. BLC is tabbed to finish fifth.

The two teams met in January last season with Apprentice taking a 91-80 win.

Game time is 6:00 pm and can be viewed here.