NEWPORT NEWS - In an absolute shootout Saturday afternoon, it was the top-seeded Apprentice School men's basketball team outscoring Blue Lights in the New South Athletic Conference semifinals, 97-88, setting up the Builders to battle for the conference title tomorrow afternoon.

The game was back-and-forth as each team traded baskets throughout the entirety of the contest. Neither team led by more than seven points until the Builders started to pull away late in the second half as Blue Lights cooled off from beyond the arc.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• There were 11 ties and 11 lead changes in the game.
• League MVP Shawn Eley scored a game-high 35 points, while Adrion Wall added a season-high 22.
• In a game where BLC dared Apprentice to shoot the three-ball, the Builders hit 15-of-41 from distance.
• In the second semifinal, Virginia Peninsula CC defeated Mid-Atlantic Christian.

NEXT UP

Round three of the rivalry between VPCC and Apprentice will take place with the conference tournament crown on the line. Tip time is 4 p.m. at the Apprentice Athletic Center and tickets are on sale now at GoBuilders.com/ticketing. There is no pass list for the game.