VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. -- Junior Eric Ruffin scored 15 points and
sophomore Jason Arrington added 14 to lead five in double figures
as the Apprentice School fell 74-70 to #6-Va. Wesleyan College in
the opening round of the Cox Blue Marlin Tipoff at The Batten
Center.
Apprentice School (0-1) will now face Rutgers-Newark who lost to
N.C. Wesleyan 73-70 in the 6 pm consolation game on Saturday.
The host Marlins opened the game racing out to a 26-13 advantage
at the 9:03 mark on a 3-pointer from Norman Hassell, but the
Builders worked their way back into the contest eventually tying it
at 31-all on an Antione Paige jumper with 85 seconds left in the
half.
In the second half, the Builders opened up as much as a 12-point
lead with the latest coming on a pair of Fred Spratley free throws
withi 5:14 left for a 64-52 advantage. The hosts then closed
the game on a 22-6 run tying the game on a Stephen Fields 3-pointer
with 1:45 left at 68-all. Fields hit a pair of free throws
with 13 seconds left for the final margin.
Junior Fred Spratley and Paige added 11 points each while
sophomore Eric Joe came off the bench with 10 points and a
team-high five rebounds for Apprentice School.
#6 VA. WESLEYAN 74, APPRENTICE SCHOOL 70
APPRENTICE (0-1): Spratley 3-8 5-6 11, Ruffin 6-9 3-6 15, Paige
5-11 0-0 11, Arrington 5-9 2-2 14, Washington 2-2 0-0 4, Cherry 0-1
0-0 0, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 1-1 0-0 3, Joe 3-5 4-6 10, Johnson
1-2 0-0 2. Totals 26-48 14-20 70.
VA. WESLEYAN (1-0): Tucker 0-5 0-0 0, Dixon 4-9 0-0 10, Balenga
4-11 3-6 13, Fantin 4-8 6-7 14, Hassell 4-8 0-0 9, Green 0-0 0-0 0,
Carlton 2-7 1-2 5, Fields 6-10 4-7 17, Wallace 2-2 2-3 6.
Totals 26-60 16-25 74.
Halftime: 35-all. 3-point goals: NNA 4-9 (Paige 1-4,
Arrington 2-3, Thompson 1-1, Joe 0-1); VWC 6-18 (Tucker 0-2, Dixon
2-5, Balenga 2-6, Fantin 0-1, Hassell 1-2, Fields 1-2).
Rebounds: NNA 28 (Joe 5); VWC 36 (Fantin 9). Total fouls:
Apprentice 24, VWC 20. Fouled out: Arrington. Assists:
NNA 11 (Paige 4); VWC 11 (Dixon 5). Att.: 785.
