NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - Senior Bryce Pendleton scored 27 points to lead three in double figures for the visiting Southern Virginia University Knights as they defeated the Apprentice School 87-70 in a U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association game on Tuesday night.
The Knights (11-4) and Builders traded buckets early as the Builders took what turned into their final lead at 8-7 on a free throw by Duane Douglas with 14:32 left. The Knights went on a 9-2 spurt capped by a Pendleton 3-pointer with 12:48 left to lead 16-10. The Builders responded with six straight points to tie the game for the final time on a free throw by Andre Henderson at 16-all with 8:01 left. Southern Virginia ripped off a 23-6 run over the next 5:52 to take a 39-22 lead on a Chris Lewis layup with 2:07 left. A Lewis layup with 13 seconds left was the last points of the first half as SVU took a 45-29 lead into the locker room.
In the second half the Knights pushed the lead to as much as 24 points on a Dewayne Beamon jumper with 13:21 left for a 64-40 advantage. Apprentice School had one last surge in them cutting the lead to 72-60 with 5:48 left on a 3-point play from Eric Joe, but that was as close as it got. SVU answered that spurt with a 13-2 run to push the lead back to 23 points on a pair of Cory Evans free throws with 74 seconds left for an 85-62 lead.
Joe was the leading scorer for the Builders with 18 points and five rebounds to lead four in double figures. Isaih Harrison was next in line with 14 points, while Henderson had 13 and seven assists and Tevin Andrews added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Apprentice School (8-9) now goes back on the road to Beckley, West Virginia to face NAIA Division I top-ranked Mountain State University (20-0) on Thursday night at 7 pm.