BROKEN ARROW, OKLA. - Sophomore Eric Joe scored 25 points and
hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds as the Apprentice School fell
82-78 in the 2008 US Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals to
Oakwood University at the Ninowski REc Center.
The Builders opened the game on an 8-2 spurt before the
Ambassadors eventually took their first lead at 17-16 on a pair of
James Doggette free throws with 10:02 left. Oakwood, a
Seventh-Day Adventist school in Huntsville, Alabama, held the lead
through out the first half though the Builders cut it to one with
2:58 left on a pair of Warren Cherry free throws.
In the second half, the Ambassadors' advantage grew to 11 points
on four occasions with a Ronald Bushner layup with 7:22 remaining
making it 70-59. The Builders scored the nexst nine points
capped by a Jason Arrington pair of foul shots to cut that deficit
to 70-68 with four minutes left.
Apprentice School had a final chance as Oakwood called a timeout
after they ran out of timeouts. Antione Paige hit one of two
from the line cutting the lead to 77-74 with 75 seconds left.
Joe hit a jumper in the paint with 43 seconds left cutting the
deficit to 77-76, but Oakwood hit enough foul shots down the
stretch to keep Apprentice School away.
Paige had 18 points and Arrington added 17 for Apprentice
School, while Doggette was the leading scorer for Oakwood with 23.
Apprentice School, who has alternated wins and losses now in 16
straight games, looks to continue that trend to close out the
season in the third place game on Saturday afternoon at 4 pm EST
against the loser of the second semifinal between top-seeded
Rochester College and fifth-seeded Florida College.
OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY 82, APPRENTICE SCHOOL 78
OAKWOOD: Long 0-0 0-0 0, Henley 8-15 0-0 19, Talesford 2-2 0-0
4, Black 4-9 6-8 17, Broome 1-2 0-2 3, Ru. Bushner 0-0 0-0 0, Ro.
Bushner 1-1 1-2 3, Conner 3-3 1-2 8, Adams 1-1 0-0 3, Davis 1-2 0-2
2, Ford 0-0 0-0 0, Doggette 5-14 13-17 23. Totals 26-49 21-33
82.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL: Smith 2-2 2-2 6, Ruffin 1-7 2-2 4, Paige 5-14
5-7 18, Arrington 4-9 8-9 17, Joe 10-14 5-8 25, Cherry 0-0 2-2 2,
Spratley 0-1 2-2 2, Thompson 0-1 0-0 0, Washington 0-0 0-0 0,
Johnson 2-7 0-0 4. Totals 24-55 26-32 78.
Halftime: Oakwood 39-33. 3-point goals: Oakwood 9-16
(Henley 3-8, Black 3-5, Broome 1-1, Conner 1-1, Adams 1-1);
Apprentice 4-13 (Paige 3-9, Ruffin 0-1, Arrington 1-2, Thompson
0-1). Rebounds: Oakwood 34 (Doggette 8); Apprentice 28 (Joe
10). Total fouls: Oakwood 19, Apprentice 25. Fouled
out: Smith, Arrington. Assists: Oakwood 15 (Ru. Bushner 4);
Apprentice 17 (Ruffin 8). Technical: Apprentice bench,
Oakwood bench.
