NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - Sophomore Jasmine Gerald scored a career high 25 points hitting four 3-pointers and senior Shameka Warren added 12 points as the Apprentice School rallied in the second half but fell 72-59 to University of District of Columbia on Wednesday night.
The first half saw the lead change hands four times as the Lady Builders took a 16-15 lead on an Ashley Johnson 3-pointer with 8:47 left. That turned into the last lead of the night for Apprentice School (7-11) as the Firebirds went on a 17-5 run over the next five minutes to take a 32-21 lead on a Jasmine Rich layup with 3:48 left.
In the second half, Apprentice School trailed 47-35 following a 3-pointer from Nicole Cooper with 15:23 left before going on one last run. Gerald hit two of her four 3-pointers to start and finish a 10-2 run over the next 3:49 as the Lady Builders cut the deficit to 49-45 with 11:34 left. UDC responded with an 11-3 run over the next 4:07 to regain a 12-point advantage at 60-48 on a Lillian McGill jumper with 7:27 left. The lead grew to as much as 17 points in the final minutes before a pair of 3-pointers from Gerald and Johnson brought the margin to 72-59.
McGill was the leading scorer for UDC (8-12) with 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Tiffany Church added 18 points and Cooper chipped in 14.
Next up for the Lady Builders will be a contest at Washington Adventist University on January 28 at 6:30 pm.