NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - The Apprentice School used a 24-9 run over a nine minute span of the second half to rally from an 11-point deficit for a 76-68 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association victory over Columbia Union College on Sunday.
A Lisa Brewer layup put the NCAA Division II Lady Pioneers up 40-29 just 52 seconds into the second half. Apprentice School answered with an 11-3 spurt to cut the deficit to 43-40 on a 3-pointer from freshman Jasmine Gerald with 15:35 left.
Following a pair of Jeaneen White free throws to push Columbia Union ahead 45-40 at the 13:48 mark, the Lady Builders turned up the defense and rode the hot shooting of a pair of freshmen to its first lead of the day.
Gerald and Serina Brandon combined for the first 12 points in the decisive 24-9 run. Brandon had the first seven points in the run and used a conventional 3-point play with 11:57 left for Apprentice School's first lead of the day at 47-45. Gerald, who had the assist on Brandon's layup, responded with a layup and a conventional 3-point play of her own for a 52-45 lead with 10:45 left.
Columbia Union put together a 7-0 run of its own to tie the game 52-all on a Brewer stick-back with 9:17 remaining. The Lady Builders went on a 12-2 run to take its largest lead of the night 64-54 on a Rahshann Lewter free throw with 4:30 remaining.
The Lady Pioneers made one last push cutting the lead to 66-62 on a pair of Kameran Evans free throws with 2:24 left, but the Lady Builders went 8-for-12 from the line down the stretch for the win.
Gerald had a season-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting to lead the Apprentice School, while senior Natasha Jones hit for 17 and senior Tyechia Cooke added 15 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and seven assists.
Next up for the Lady Builders will be another NCAA Division II opponent in rival Chowan College at home on Wednesday night starting at 6 pm.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL 76, COLUMBIA UNION 68
COLUMBIA UNION (2-13): Richardson 5-11 2-3 13, White 3-8 3-4 9, Brewer 6-15 3-7 15, Harrison 0-9 0-0 0, Johnson 3-5 0-0 6, Evans 0-6 2-2 2, Byrd 1-1 0-0 2, Duffie 7-17 2-2 19, Frazier 0-0 0-0 0, Gordon 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 26-76 12-18 68.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL (6-6): West 2-5 4-6 8, Jones 6-11 0-0 17, Lewter 1-11 4-6 6, Cooke 3-15 9-17 15, Battle 0-2 1-2 1, Brandon 4-10 1-1 9, Gerald 7-9 2-3 18, Henderson 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 23-66 23-37 76.
Halftime: CUC 38-29. 3-point goals: CUC 4-22 (Richardson 1-4, Brewer 0-1, Harrison 0-8, Evans 0-2, Duffie 3-7); Apprentice School 7-13 (Jones 5-7, Lewter 0-1, Gerald 2-4, Henderson 0-1). Rebounds: CUC 50 (Johnson 14); Apprentice 56 (Cooke 16). Total fouls: CUC 28, Apprentice 17. Fouled out: Richardson, White, Evans, West. Assists: CUC 12 (Richardson 5); Apprentice 15 (Cooke 7). Att.: 193