Crusaders Heading to USCAA DII Dance

Christendom Women’s Basketball: National Championship Tournament-bound. The team, coming off one of the best seasons in program history, earned their first trip to the USCAA DII National Championship Tournament, as announced by the organization on Sunday, March 5. They will travel to Virginia State University for the tournament on March 12, aiming for a shot at the National Championship game on March 16.

The women’s basketball team went an incredible 19-5 during their regular season, which included an 8-game winning streak stretching from December to early February. Sophomore phenom Catherine Thomas gave a stunning sequel to her impressive inaugural season last year, leading the USCAA in points scored and coming in second in points per game and rebounds per game. Her performance earned her conference MVP honors along with numerous Player of the Week honors, with Miranda Keller also earning Player of the Week honors as well with her similarly impressive run this season. Head Coach Mary Minick also earned Coach of the Year honors for her leadership of the team over the course of the 2022-23 season.

The team will arrive in Petersburg, Virginia, following Mass on Sunday, March 12, to begin preparing for their first National Championship run. Games will begin on the morning of Monday, March 13, with games played each day leading up to the National Championship game on Thursday, March 16. Christendom will face Penn State Beaver in the first round on Monday, March 13 at 10:00 am.

The team is currently looking to raise $4,000 for the tournament. To support the team’s National Championship run, visit here.

For more information, visit christendomathletics.com.

Story and image courtesy Christendom College Athletics

Centurions Hold Off Crusader Rally for NSAC Title

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Carolina Christian build an 12-point advantage over Christendom midway through the 4th quarter, then battled to hold off the Crusaders’ rally to claim the inaugural NSAC women’s basketball championship 70-67 on Sunday afternoon.

The Centurions frustrated Christendom’s offensive flow throughout the game with full-court pressure defense, scoring 24 points off 27 Crusader turnovers. Christendom clawed back to within 1, 68-67, on a Catherine Thomas jumper and subsequent free throw, with 46.8 seconds to play, but could get no closer. CCC’s Imari Hightower sank two free throws with 40.1 seconds left in regulation to stretch the lead back to 3. Two three-point attempts by the Crusaders in the final minute fell short to preserve the victory for the Centurions.

Hightower led all scorers with 33 points. Thomas led CC with 29 points and 23 boards, while Miranda Keller chalked 19 and 12, respectively.

Image courtesy Ike Washington/Apprentice Athletics

Crusaders Pull Away from Builders, 67-44

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Third seed Christendom knocked off 2nd seed Apprentice 67-44 in the New South Athletic Conference semifinals Saturday afternoon to advance into Sunday’s league title game.

The Builders (14-7) never got going offensively, shooting less than 22 percent from the floor on the game and hitting on just one of 17 tries from distance. Christendom (18-4) used a 7-0 push early in the second quarter to seize control of the game.

The Crusaders hit basket after basket and, despite a push in the third period, pulled away from Apprentice to hand the Builders their only loss on their home floor this season.

Catherine Thomas, the league MVP, had a game-high 21 points, while Kate Walz put up 19, making five threes along the way. Ashawnti Williams and Kerrigan Small each had 11 to lead the Builders in the scoring column.

Christendom now faces off with Carolina Christian (7-4) at 2:00 pm Sunday for the inaugural New South women’s basketball championship.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/gobuilders.com

Tickets for NSAC Tournament On Sale Now

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School is hosting the New South Athletic Conference basketball tournament this upcoming weekend, and tickets are now on sale for the event.

Tickets for each day will be $7 each and can be purchased at GoBuilders.com/ticketing. As this is the conference tournament, all spectators will be required to pay as no pass lists are being allowed for the event.

The Apprentice women’s basketball team will open the tournament Saturday at 2 p.m. against Christendom. Prior to the contest, the program will have its Senior Day festivities. The Builders men’s team will play host to Blue Lights in the 4 p.m. semifinal Saturday afternoon. At 6 p.m., the Mid-Atlantic Christian University men will face the Virginia Peninsula/Christendom winner.

The semifinal round of action will be carried live on the BuilderStream YouTube page, while the championship games on Sunday will be carried by BigSportsTV

Crusaders’ Minick Named Coach of the Year

Christendom College head coach Mary Minick has been named the inaugural New South Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

Now in her fifth season in Front Royal, Minick has guided the Crusaders to a 16-4 overall record and a top-ten ranking in USCAA Division 2. As a team, Christendom is 2nd in the nation in rebounding, 2nd in field goal defense, 3rd in blocks, 4th in offensive efficiency, and 4th in free throw percentage.

She is also the coach of the 2023 NSAC MVP Catherine Thomas, who is second in the nation in both scoring and rebounding, and Miranda Keller, voted 2nd Team All-Conference.

Congratulations to Mary Minick, the 2023 NSAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year!

Image courtesy Christendom College Athletics

Thomas Named MVP, Heads All-NSAC Squad

Christendom College sophomore forward Catherine Thomas has been named the consensus Most Valuable Player for the inaugural New South All-Conference Women’s Basketball Team.

Thomas has averaged 27.7 points and 14.8 rebounds in all games this season, ranking 2nd in both categories in USCAA Division 2. She has recorded a double-double in every game this season including 2 triple-doubles.

Congratulations to Catherine and all the student-athletes on the 2023 All-Conference Team!

All-NSAC First Team:

  • Catherine Thomas, sophomore, Christendom College (MVP)
  • Imari Hightower, junior, Carolina Christian College
  • Jada Bryant, freshman, The Apprentice School
  • Miranda Keller, sophomore, Christendom College
  • Chantura Kirkland, junior, Carolina Christian College

All-NSAC Second Team:

  • Amaya Ray, freshman, The Apprentice School
  • Kate Walz, senior, Christendom College
  • Kayla Kent, senior, Mid-Atlantic Christian University
  • Moninque Houzer, junior, Carolina Christian College
  • Judea Edmonds, Senior, Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Honorable Mention:

  • Nyla Jackson, sophomore, The Apprentice School
  • Ashawnti Williams, sophomore, The Apprentice School
  • Shykeira Brown, junior, Carolina Christian College
  • Regina Bonvissuto, sophomore, Christendom College
  • Carrington Townes, junior, Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Image courtesy Christendom College Athletics

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 Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team (minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA)

Kayla Mosquera                Carolina Christian College

Colleen Kosten                  Christendom College

Kate Walz                           Christendom College

Bridget McCaughey          Christendom College

Liliana Speier                     Christendom College

Regina Cousino                     Christendom College

Catherine Thomas              Christendom College

Regina Bonvissuto              Christendom College

Miranda Keller                    Christendom College

Amelia Howell                   Christendom College

Jamica Jones                         The Apprentice School

NeOndra Kelly                        The Apprentice School    

Ashawnti Williams                 The Apprentice School

Nyla Jackson                         The Apprentice School

Emily Hill                                       Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Carly James                                   Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Apprentice Survives Against Maine-Fort Kent, 79-74

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – While it may not have been easy, the Apprentice School women’s basketball team did what they needed to do to take down Maine-Fort Kent Saturday afternoon, 79-74.

The Bengals jumped out to an early lead behind great shooting in the opening moments of the game, but the Builders weathered the storm and ended up leading by as many as 14 in the first half. UMFK battled back to trim the lead to a single possession late in the game, but key baskets and free throws were enough to push Apprentice to its third straight win.

Jada Bryant led the Builders with a double-double of 22 points and 19 rebounds. Ashawnti Williams also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 boards. Amaya Ray had 13 points, while Kerrigan Small added 10. Apprentice hit just one three pointer in the contest.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com

CCC Gets Top Seed for Inaugural NSAC Tournament

Carolina Christian College won the coin toss to break the tie for top seed in the upcoming New South Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament and gain the bye into the championship game.

CCC and Apprentice finished tied at .500 for the top spot and split their games during regular season, thus forcing the tiebreaker.

Apprentice will face Christendom on Saturday, February 25 in Newport News, Virginia in the semifinal matchup. The winner goes on to face the Centurions in Sunday’s final.

Builders Dominate Crusaders, 88-53

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Apprentice School women’s basketball team avenged an earlier loss Tuesday, dominating Christendom, 88-53, to clinch a share of the New South Athletic Conference regular season crown.

The Builders jumped out to a 22-7 lead after one quarter and never looked back on the way to the win. Apprentice led by as many as 37 in the contest.

Jada Bryant led all scorers with 24 points to go with 11 rebounds. Nyla Jackson added 16, making four threes in the game. Catherine Thomas led the Crusaders with a double-double of 22 points and 12 boards.

With the win, the Builders tie Carolina Christian atop the league standings. A coin flip Wednesday morning will decide the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NSAC Tournament.

Story and image courtesy gobuilders.com