MISENHEIMER, NC – Junior Tevin Andrews scored 24 points and freshman Johnnie Ferebee added 21 as the Apprentice School used a 24-5 run to close out the first half and held off a late Pfeiffer charge for an 89-84 win to close out the 2011 portion of their schedule on Sunday with a 9-2 record.
This marks the second year in a row that the men's team closed out the first half of its season with a win at a NCAA Division II school. Last year they knocked off Livingstone College in overtime by nearly the same score 86-84. That win gives the Builders their best start to a season at the Christmas break in school history with a 9-2 mark.
With the game tied at 29-all at the 6:07 mark, Ferebee kick started the 24-5 run with a 3-pointer , that began a 15-0 stretch, and followed a bucket from Andrews with eight straight points. Pfeiffer cut the deficit to 14 before the Builders pushed the lead back to 21 points on a Latrone Demiel 3-pointerfor a 53-32 with 51 seconds left in the half. A late layup from Jerod Wallace brought the hosts to 53-34 at the half.
In the second half, a 3-pointer from Andrews gave the Builders their largest lead of the game at 56-34 at the 19 minute mark. Pfeiffer got the game back under double digits with 4:39 left on a Danny Smith jumper cutting the lead to 77-69. Apprentice School iced the game going 8-of-10 from the foul line in the final 1:52. The Falcons made things interesting as Elijah Matthews hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds, the first one cutting the lead to 87-81, but Ferebee drained a pair of foul shots to clinch the road win.
Andrews recorded his second straight double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Ferebee had a season-high 21 points to go with his seven assists and four steals. Freshman Lance Darden chipped in with 13 for Apprentice School. The Builders hit 35-of-73 from the floor (47.9%) while out-rebounding the Falcons 41-39.
Apprentice School is now off until January 5 when they face Vermont Tech in the first round of the Ave Maria/USCAA Classic in Florida.