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Basketball Teams Celebrate Season With End Of Year Awards Banquet

Posted: Apr 18, 2013

The Apprentice School Basketball teams celebrated their 2012-13 seasons on Thursday night with the annual End of Year Awards banquet held at the Point Plaza Suites in Newport News.

Coach Franklin Chatman and his men's team finished 17-10 and earned a berth to the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Division I National Championships.  The Lady Builders, under head coach Lanica Williams-Tallon, finished the year with a 12-13 record and hold three wins over teams that qualified for the USCAA Women's National Championships.

 

Below are the award winners from Thursday night's event:

 

Men's Basketball

Most Valuable Player

Tevin Andrews – Senior – Rigger – Pike County, AL.

  • A 3-time USCAA All-American
  • Averaged a double-double this season with 18.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game
  • 12 double-doubles this year.
  • Scored 25 or more points in six games , 30 or more in two
  • Topped the team in 3-pointers made (51) and steals (43) while third in blocked shots (28).
  • Career-high 19 rebounds against Barber-Scotia College
  • Season-high 31 points at Florida Christian College.
  • 2-time USCAA Player of the Week this past season.
 

Coaches Award

Lavontae Thomas – Sophomore – Molder – Chesapeake, VA.

  • Averaged 9.2 points and just under five assists per game.
  • Career-high 10 assists against Cabrini – who made the NCAA Division III Elite 8.
  • Had a stretch where he scored in double figures in 11 of 13 games.
  • Had seven assists or more in seven games.
 

Spirit Award And Builder Award

Zach Zastrow – Sophomore – Pipefitter – Newport News, VA.

  • He provided strong depth at either guard position playing in 22 games as a sophomore. 
  • Was fourth on the team in 3-point percentage hitting nearly 35% from behind the arc. 
  • He scored seven points against Southern Virginia and had five points to go with five rebounds in the USCAA Tournament opener against Daemen College.
 

Most Improved Award

Darrell Fenton – Junior – Insulator – New Kent, VA.

  • Opened the year with a bang scoring a career best 21 points against St. Vincent (PA).
  • Averaged just under 10 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
  • Scored in double figures in 13 of 26 games played.
  • Hauled in 10 rebounds against Florida Christian and Barber-Scotia
 

Newcomer Award

Jay Melendez – Freshman – Outside Machinist – Suffolk, VA.

  • Averaged 6.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game – nearly consistent two more points than rebounds.
  • Scored in double figures in 5 games – season-high 20 pts. against Trinity Coll. of Florida
  • Had double figure rebounds in three games – hauling in season-high 12 against nationally-ranked Virginia Wesleyan.
  • Second on the team in blocked shots (30) and free throw percentage (76.9%).
  • Hit game-winning shot in big road win over Virginia University of Lynchburg with a 3-pointer in the final seconds. 

Women's Basketball

Most Valuable Player

Danita Whitaker – Junior – Rigger – Rocky Mount, NC

  • Earned second team USCAA All-American honors.
  • Averaged 12.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
  • Team-best 46.8% field goal percentage.
  • Third in steals with 39.
  • Set career highs this year in points (26 v. Berkeley), rebounds (18 v. Central Penn) and steals (7 v. Bennett).
  • Earned USCAA Player of the Week honor after averaging 20 points and 15.5 rebounds in two wins during the Martin Luther King Classic.
 

Most Improved

Bria Hill – Freshman – Coating Specialist – Portsmouth, VA

  • Saw action in 17 games while starting in eight.
  • A bundle of energy on the court with her harassing defensive presence.
  • Scored six points and had five assists in a win over Central Penn.
  • Hauled in four rebounds against NAIA Voorhees College and had a blocked shot against Southern Virginia. 
 

Coaches Award

Tysheka Simpson – Senior – Electrician – Coatesville, PA

  • Rejoined the team after an injury plagued 2011-12 season and provided a strong outside shot and experience.
  • Hauled in career-best six rebounds on senior day in a win over Virginia University of Lynchburg while having four rebounds in four other games.
  • Scored in double figures in five games – season best 18 against University of Cincinnati-Clermont.
  • Dished out five assists against Southern Virginia.
 

Builder Award

Shanae Hilliard – Sophomore – Molder - Alamorgodo, NM

  • Averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
  • Set career-highs on a weekend swing in New York where she scored 22 points and 15 rebounds against St. Joseph's-Brooklyn then topped it the next day with 25 points against Berkeley.
  • 9 games of double figures in scoring.
  • Hit team best 31 3-point field goals.
  • Second on team in steals (49) and third in assists (41).
  • Had four steals on three occasions and dished out a season high five assists vs. Central Penn.

 

The Builder Award is presented on behalf of the Apprentice Athletic Club to a student-athlete from each sport that has demonstrated excellence in four areas of their apprenticeship – Craftsmanship, Scholarship, Leadership and Sportsmanship.  A candidate is selected based on their average shop grade over the course of their apprenticeship, their cumulative academic GPA in the World Class Shipbuilding and/or Advanced Curriculum, conduct on the job and the classroom, attendance and overall athletic contributions to their sport over the course of the past year.  Each year the Apprentice Athletic Club presents this award to the student-athlete who embodies the true characteristics necessary to be not only a great Builder, but more importantly a great Shipbuilder.