NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - Junior Eric Joe set career-highs with 28 points and 14 rebounds leading four Builders in double figures as the Apprentice School scored the first seven points and never looked back in an 83-50 win over Knoxville College Saturday.

            The Builders used a swarming pressure defense to hold Knoxville (1-11) to a 1-for-14 start from the floor in the first nine minutes as the Apprentice School (5-2) raced to a 21-7 lead on a Joe tip-in with 11:01 left.  Knoxville cut that lead down to 26-19 on a 3-pointer from Marcus Jenkins with 5:08 remaining.  The hosts closed the half on an 11-2 run to take a 37-21 lead on a layup from junior Eric Ruffin with 38 seconds left in the half.

            In the second half, the teams traded buckets over the first six minutes before the Builders broke the game open on a 16-0 run over a 6:43 span.  The Bulldogs scored on a Joseph Chapman jumper with 14:05 left for a 46-30 Apprentice lead, and from then the Builder defense went to work.  Knoxville went 0-for-9 with five turnovers in the span as the Builders pulled out to a 62-30 lead on a Joe free throw with 7:42 left.  

            From there, the lead grew to as much as 38 points on three separate occasions, the last being on a dunk from Joe with 2:09 left for an 81-43 advantage.  That win was the largest margin of victory in Apprentice gym since Feb. 21, 2005 when the Builders defeated USCAA rival Southern Virginia 100-56.

            Joe also tied school single-game records for free throws made (14) and attempted (19) with his career-high day.  Junior Jason Arrington had 17 points, while senior Stanford Johnson had career-highs of 12 points and 15 rebounds.  Fellow senior Eric Ruffin had 12 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high nine assists.

            The Builders now will return to action on Thursday when they host NCAA Division II St. Paul's College in a 6 pm tipoff.

APPRENTICE SCHOOL 83, KNOXVILLE COLLEGE 50
KNOXVILLE COLLEGE (1-11)
Marcus Jenkins 5-11 2-6 15; Moody Norris 5-12 5-6 15; Leon Boddie 4-7 0-0 8; Tyrion Echols 1-2 2-2 4; Joseph Chapman 2-11 0-0 4; Zeorme Lakey 1-16 0-0 2; Justin Lashley 0-0 2-2 2; Raymond Jones 0-4 0-0 0; Gerson Depina 0-1 0-0 0; Alex Phillips 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-65 11-16 50.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL (5-2)
Eric Joe 7-14 14-19 28; Jason Arrington 5-11 7-8 17; Stanford Johnson 4-11 4-4 12; Eric Ruffin 5-10 2-3 12; Antione Paige 4-15 0-0 9; Thomas Scott 1-11 2-2 5; Joseph Lyons 0-2 0-0 0; Trevor Jones 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-75 29-36 83.
Halftime - Apprentice 37-23.  3-point goals--Knoxville College 3-17 (Marcus Jenkins 3-6; Moody Norris 0-5; Zeorme Lakey 0-4; Raymond Jones 0-2), Apprentice School 2-14 (Thomas Scott 1-3; Antione Paige 1-7; Eric Ruffin 0-1; Trevor Jones 0-1; Jason Arrington 0-2). Fouled out--Knoxville College-Leon Boddie, Apprentice School-None. Rebounds--Knoxville College 45 (Joseph Chapman 13), Apprentice School 55 (Stanford Johnson 15). Assists--Knoxville College 8 (Marcus Jenkins 3; Moody Norris 3), Apprentice School 16 (Eric Ruffin 9). Total fouls--Knoxville College 23, Apprentice School 13. Technical fouls--Knoxville College-None, Apprentice School-None. A-562

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