Makos Win Sets Up Regular Season Title Match Tonight

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.

Lighthouse Defense Shuts Down BLC 104-85

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.

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

Regular Season Title on the Line This Week

The NSAC men’s basketball regular season concludes this week, but the regular season title is far from decided! And ironically, Lighthouse Christian College will have a say in it all.

The Makos, who joined the league this year and have played just one NSAC game thus far, begin a three-games-in-three-days conference road trip tonight Blue Lights College. If BLC (12-5 overall, 5-1 NSAC) wins, the Thoroughbreds will clinch at least a share of the title. A Blue Lights win coupled with a Builders loss to Mid-Atlantic Christian or Lighthouse would give the Horses the top spot outright.

Apprentice and MACU tip tonight as well. A win by the Builders (18-4, 4-1) coupled by a win over Lighthouse on Thursday would secure at least a tie with BLC for top honors. Those two wins and a Thoroughbred loss would mean Apprentice takes the title.

The unlikely wildcard in all of this is the Makos. If Lighthouse (14-4, 0-1) defeats both BLC and AS, as well as CIC on Wednesday afternoon, the Makos would have the best conference winning percentage (0.750) and claim the regular season championship.

Of course, this is all for bragging rights only, as the seedings for the conference tournament will be determined by a coaches poll following Thursday’s game. Those seedings will be announced early next week.

Image courtesy Craig Green/BLC Media

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

Teams Enter Final Week of Conference Play

In a scheduling anomaly, New South teams are entering the final week of conference play more than three weeks ahead of the season-ending tournament.

The four teams atop the standings highlight Saturday’s schedule with two games tipping at 2:00 pm. In Newport News, Virginia, defending NSAC champion and top-ranked Apprentice hosts number 7 Atlantis. Just an hour to the south in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Mid-Atlantic Christian looks to even the score with Blue Lights College after losing to the Thoroughbreds in a shootout 120-113 on January 30 in Apex.

On Sunday, Atlantis continues its road trip with a visit to MACU, then the Mustangs visit Apprentice on Tuesday night.

Lighthouse begins a three-game conference gauntlet on Tuesday, February 13 by visiting BLC with a quick turnaround to make a noon Wednesday tip against Central International in Richmond. The Makos will wrap up the NSAC regular season at Apprentice Thursday night.

After that, conference teams will conclude the year by facing regional rivals with the final game, MACU at Regent, taking place Thursday, February 22, leaving eight full days to rest and prepare for the NSAC Tournament starting March 1. Tournament seedings will be set by a coaches poll following the completion of the regular season.

Photo by Matthias Cooper on Unsplash

Atlantis Tripped Up at Clinton 125-98

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Senior guard Cam Shannon poured in a career-high 41 points to lead Clinton College to a 125-98 win over Atlantis Thursday night.

Clinton (14-7) raced to a 63-36 halftime lead and maintained that 27-point margin at the final buzzer.

Tyric Francois led the Atlanteans with 27 points.

The game was the first of a four-game series through the Carolinas and Virginia for Atlantis (9-12 overall, 1-0 NSAC), which will face NSAC foes Apprentice on Saturday and MACU on Sunday before closing the trip with a non-conference tilt at Regent on Monday.

Image courtesy auatlanteans.com

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

BLC Scoring Onslaught Too Much for CIC

APEX, N.C. – Sophomores Wol Yak and Sam Benton, Jr. scored 38 points apiece to lead Blue Lights College to an overpowering 117-72 NSAC win against Central International College Tuesday night.

BLC (11-5 overall, 4-1 NSAC) continued its torrid scoring pace, topping the century mark for the seventh time this season and the third time in the last four games. The Herd is averaging 93.3 points per game.

Junior forward Ty Rias led the Cardinals (7-10, 0-5) with 16 points.

Blue Lights travels to Elizabeth City, North Carolina on Saturday for a conference rematch with Mid-Atlantic Christian. The Thoroughbreds outpaced the Mustangs 120-113 on January 30 in Apex.

CIC steps outside the conference Saturday for a game at 11th-ranked Johnson & Wales.

Image credit Craig Green/BLC Media