Recaps from Day One of the USCAA Basketball National Championships

This page will be updated throughout the day with recaps of all games from day one of the 2016 USCAA Basketball National Championships. 

FINAL SCORE: #1 Concordia College Alabama Hornets 90, #8 The Apprentice School Lady Builders 53

RECORDS: Concordia-Alabama 22-3; Apprentice 12-11

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette Main Arena, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: Concordia-Alabama’s Erica Ousley led all scorers with 20 points as #1 Concordia-Alabama used a dominant second-half performance to defeat #8 The Apprentice School 90-53 in the opening round of the Women’s Division I Tournament Wednesday. 

ON THE COURT

• Concordia-Alabama jumped out to an early 15-6 lead with 5:44 left in the first quarter, but The Apprentice School relied on stingy defensive pressure over the next three minutes to tie the game at 15. 
• Early in the second quarter, Concordia-Alabama used fast break offense to push its lead to eight, forcing an Apprentice School timeout at the 8:48 mark.  The teams traded buckets the remainder of the quarter, with Concordia taking a 40-31 into halftime. 
• Concordia-Alabama was dominant in the third quarter, using a 22-8 run to extend its lead to 62-39 lead.
• The Hornets would only extend their lead in the final stanza, closing the game with a 12-2 run to advance with a 90-53 victory.
• Concordia-Alabama used a balanced scoring attack with 10 different players recording points.
• Concordia-Alabama’s team rebounding total of 69 tied the USCAA Women’s Division I Tournament record set by Berea College in the 2015 tournament.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• USCAA Women’s Division I 2015-16 Player of the Year Shuntavia Harris had an impressive outing, narrowly missing a triple-double with 18 points, 22 rebounds and 8 blocks.
• The Apprentice School was led by Ylexzis Traeger, who put up 18 points, while Courtney White chipped in 10.
• The Hornets’ bench outscored the Lady Builders’ bench 44-10.

NEXT UP

Concordia-Alabama advances to meet the winner of the Silver Lake College/University of Maine Fort Kent game at 11:00 a.m. on Friday in the Main Arena.  The Apprentice School will face the loser of the Silver Lake/UM Fort Kent match-up on Thursday at 9:15 a.m.

FINAL SCORE: #3 Berea College Mountaineers 57, #6 Rochester College Warriors 61

RECORDS: Berea College 14-12; Rochester College 17-14

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette Maltho Gymnasium, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: The Rochester Warriors finished the game with a 21-6 run in the last 5:36 of the fourth quarter to advance to the semifinals of the USCAA Women's Division I Basketball National Championships.

ON THE COURT

• Rochester jumped out to an early 14-6 lead with Tiffany Misch getting seven of their first 14 points.
• Berea opened up a eight point lead with just under a couple of minutes to play in the second quarter but Rochester fought back to close the game just before halftime. 
• In the opening minutes of the third quarter the teams traded baskets as Berea continued to hold onto their lead. Rochester's Sam Charney made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 37-37 halfway through the quarter.
• All-American Jackie Highstreet scored a huge three point play to give Rochester the lead 54-51 with just three minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Highstreet scored 11 of her team's last 12 points to close out the game.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Adrianna Williams of Berea played the entire game and finished with 15 points, two blocks, and two steals.
• Highstreet had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Laura Shoohey came off the bench and added a team-high 15 points with five rebounds.
• There were seven lead changes in game, with the biggest lead by both teams being just eight points.

NEXT UP

Rochester College advances to Friday's semifinal in Main Arena at 1:00 pm EST. They will face Iowa Wesleyan who defeated Carlow University 54-36 in the second game of the day. Berea College will face Carlow tomorrow, March 3^rd, at 8:00 am EST in a consolation matchup.

FINAL SCORE: #5 University of Maine Fort Kent Bengals 83, #4 Silver Lake College Lakers 60

RECORDS: Maine Fort Kent 20-5; Silver Lake 20-6

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette Main Arena, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: University of Maine Fort Kent had a pair of players record double-doubles as the Bengals defeated the Lakers of Silver Lake College 83-60 in the opening round of the Women’s Division I Tournament Wednesday.

ON THE COURT

• With a short bench that saw the starters playing the entire first half, Maine-Fort Kent used efficiency by shooting 57.6% from the field and 70% from the charity stripe to build a 46-28 halftime lead.
• The Bengals went on a 13-3 run to close the second quarter to put Maine Fort Kent up by double digits for the remainder of the game.
• In the second half, Maine-Fort Kent’s lead grew to as large as 26, with Silver Lake was not able to get within 17 points of the Bengals.
• Maine-Fort Kent’s Samantha Carapellucci led all scorers with 33 points, while also chipping in 11 rebounds.  Teammate Ericka Saucier proved to be a force in the paint, recording 27 points and 19 rebounds.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Maine-Fort Kent’s Romanalyn Inocencio recorded 15 assists in the game, which broke the USCAA Women’s Division I Tournament record of 14 set by Lindenwood-Bellville’s Megan Clark in 2012.
• In addition to distributing the ball in record fashion, Inocencio also recorded 13 points and six steals for the Bengals.
• Silver Lake used the long-range shot relied heavily on the long-range shot, as 11 of their 22 made field goals came from behind the arc.
• The Bengals outrebounded the Lakers 49-38, with the 11-rebound difference all occurring on the defensive end.
• Silver Lake had a balanced scoring attack with 10 players getting into the scorer’s column, led by Danelle Buck’s 11-point performance.

NEXT UP

Maine Fort Kent advances to meet #1 seed Concordia College Alabama at 11:00 a.m. Friday in the Main Arena.  Silver Lake will face #8 The Apprentice School in a consolation match-up on Thursday at 9:15 a.m.

FINAL SCORE: #2 Iowa Wesleyan College Tigers 54, #7 Carlow University Celtics 36

RECORDS: Iowa Wesleyan College 18-7; Carlow University 14-13

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette at Maltho Gymnasium, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: Dakota Flesner and Kaylee Moselesy led the Tigers to an opening round 54-36 win over Carlow University. The Tigers of Iowa Wesleyan pulled down 64 rebounds in the contest, just five shy of a USCAA Women's Division I record of 69 set by Concordia College Alabama earlier in the day.  

ON THE COURT

• Three of Iowa Wesleyan College's first six buckets in the game came from behind the arc, allowing the Tigers to hold a 13-6 advantage going into the second quarter.  
• The Tigers picked right up where they left off in the first with more hot shooting from behind the arc. Kaylee Moselesy sank four three-pointers in the first half and Iowa Wesleyan led 23-15 at halftime.
• Iowa Wesleyan went on a 13-4 run to end the third quarter and open their lead up to 14 points. Dakota Flesner scored six of her 14 points in the fourth quarter and pulled down a game-high 19 rebounds.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Carlow was led by Leah Goodwin with 11 points and two assists. The Celtics shot 90% from the free throw line with Natalie Alexander going 4-4. Alexander finished with nine points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
• The Tiger's Rachel Williams pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out two assists while adding seven points.
• Iowa Wesleyan scored 18 points off second chance opportunities. The Tigers bench added 17 points during the game.

NEXT UP

Iowa Wesleyan will face off against Rochester College at 1:00 pm EST in the semifinals on Friday in Main Arena. Carlow will play the #3 seeded Berea College on Thursday at 8:00 am EST in Main Arena consolation action. 

FINAL SCORE: #1 Rochester College Warriors 77, #8 The Apprentice School Builders 68

RECORDS: Rochester 24-5; Apprentice 12-11

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette Main Arena, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: Rochester College had four players in double digits as the Warriors defeated the Builders of The Apprentice School 77-68 in the opening round of the Men’s Division I Tournament Wednesday.

ON THE COURT

• The first six minutes was a back-and-forth contest before an alley-oop from Rochester’s Paris Pereira to Jeroen De Baat sparked a 8-0 Warriors run that made the score 19-11.
• The teams traded baskets for the next five-plus minutes of game clock before The Apprentice School scored on three-straight possessions to cut Rochester’s lead to just two.
• Rochester then went on a mini-run in the final 4:19 of the half to go into the break with a 34-29 lead over the Builders.
• In the first five minutes of the second half, the Warriors opened an 11-point lead with the help of back-to-back three pointers from Justin Nafso and Nick Tutu, followed by a layup by Angelo Griffis.
• After trading baskets for the next few minutes, Rochester re-established an 11-point differential with 12:38 left in the game off another Griffis layup, and later extended their lead to as much as 20 in the second half.  Although Apprentice was able to get within nine points in the final minute of the game, the Warriors double-digit lead through much of the second half was one that the Builders were ultimately unable to deconstruct.
• The Apprentice School’s Jay Melendez led all scorers in the losing effort with 23 points, while also bringing down 10 rebounds. 

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Angelo Griffins led the Warriors with 22 points and 9 rebounds, including going 8 of 12 from the field.  Nick Tutu, Jeroen De Baat, and Justin Nafso were also in double figures for Rochester.
• Two Builders recorded double-doubles for the game, with Jay Melendez recording 23 points and 10 boards, and Michael Gainey adding 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Cameron Perry also added 15 points for The Apprentice School.
• The Builders out-rebounded Rochester 58-42 in the game.
• The Rochester bench proved to be a difference maker in the contest, as the Warrior reserves outscored the Apprentice subs 23-10.
• As a team, Rochester recorded eight steals for the game, while committing only eight turnovers.

NEXT UP

Number 1 seed Rochester advances to meet the winner of #4 Florida National and #5 Oakwood at 8:00 p.m. Thursday in the Main Arena.  The Apprentice School will face the loser of Florida National/Oakwood in a consolation match-up on Thursday at 11:15 a.m. in Maltho.

FINAL SCORE: #5 Oakwood University Ambassadors 87, #4 Florida National University Conquistadors 79

RECORDS: Oakwood 16-9; Florida National 17-11

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette Main Arena, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: Oakland University had five players in double digits as the Ambassadors defeated the Florida National University Conquistadors 87-79 in the opening round of the Men’s Division I Tournament Wednesday.

ON THE COURT

• Oakwood jumped out to an early 24-8 lead halfway through the first half before Florida National responded, cutting their deficit to 7 just before half.  However, a 40-foot buzzer beater by Oakwood’s Brandon Daniel allowed the Ambassadors to take a 39-29 halftime lead. 
• The Conquistadors scored the first five points of the second half, but Oakwood quickly responded with six quick points of their own to regain the double-digit advantage.
• Florida National was able to cut their deficit to just six with 10:50 left in the half, but the Ambassadors responded, pushing their lead to as many as 16 with 8:02 left in the game.
• The Conquistadors used a Jonathan Warren and-one conversion to get within eight points with 2:22 left in the contest.
• After trading buckets, full-court pressure led to a Regan O’Rourke 3-point basket to bring Florida National to within seven points, which was followed by a Warren layup to cut the deficit to just five points with 53.7 seconds remaining.  However, the Conquistadors would not be able to get any closer, as Oakland sealed the victory with seven made free throws in the waning seconds.
• Oakland had five players with double-digit points in the victory, while Florida National’s Regan O’Rourke led all scorers with 28 points.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Ollie Felps led the Ambassadors scorers with 20 points, followed by Brandon Daniel with 19, Ronnie Abrams with 18, Maxwell Caines with 11, and Dom Pierre-Louis with 10.
• Oakwood tallied 19 assists on 32 field goals for the game, while also recording 19 steals.
• Oakwood was able to capitalize on Florida National’s 14 turnovers, converting 32 points off those Conquistador possessions.

NEXT UP

Oakland will advance to face the #1 seed Rochester at 8:00 p.m. Thursday in the Main Arena.  Florida National will face The Apprentice School in a consolation match-up on Thursday at 11:15 a.m. in Maltho.

FINAL SCORE: #7 Penn State-Fayette Lions 93, #10 Central Maine C.C. Mustangs 81

RECORDS: Penn State-Fayette 16-11; Central Maine 21-10

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette Main Arena, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: Luke Williams and Brandon Cunningham combined for 61 points to lead #7 Penn State-Fayette over #10 Central Maine C.C. 93-81.  Helping to push the host Lions past Central Maine was an 18-20 team performance from the free throw line, along with 25 points off turnovers.

ON THE COURT

• The first half was a tight contest, with the teams trading leads of no more than four points through the first 17 minutes. 
• With 3:11 left in the half, Penn State Fayette took a five-point lead on a layup by Dominick Jackson. 
• Luke Williams was able to push Fayette’s lead to six at 1:14 in the half, successfully hitting the free throw after being fouled on a made layup.
• The teams traded buckets once more in the half, with Fayette taking a 46-40 lead over Central Maine into the locker room.
• Central Maine’s Carrington Miller hit 70% from the field in the first half, tallying 16 points, while Penn State-Fayette had three players in double figures for the first half.   
• The Lions came out strong to start the second half, building a 12-point lead at the 17:08 mark with a Luke Williams three-pointer.
• Fayette was then able to extend its lead to 16 points on a Brandon Cunningham three-pointer at the 14:06 mark before the Mustangs responded with three made free throws to temporarily slow the Lions.
• After trading baskets for the next four minutes, a made Luke Williams jumper gave the Lions their largest lead of the night at the 10:00 mark, with a score of 78-61.
• Central Maine then rallied and cut the Fayette lead to single digits by using a 9-2 run to make the score 80-71 with 7:34 to play.
• The Mustangs whittled their deficit to just seven with a Carrington Miller jumper with 5:23 remaining in the game, but the Lions responded with a bucket and four made free throws to extend their lead back out to 14 points with 2:49 to go.
• In the end, the Fayette defeated Central Maine 93-81.

 BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Fayette went 18 of 20 (90%) from the charity stripe for the game and managed 25 points off Central Maine turnovers.
• Luke Williams led all scorers with 33 points on 13-23 shooting, while teammate Brandon Cunningham tallied 28 points, including four makes from behind the arc. London Hoxie and Dominick Jackson were also in double digits for the Lions with 13 and 10 points, respectively, while C.J. Gaddis rounded out the Fayette scorers with 9 points.
• Central Maine also had four scorers in double digits, led by Carrington Millers’ 20 points, followed by Rob Skinner (19), Pietro Badalassi (17), and Thomas Cedre (13). 

NEXT UP

Penn State-Fayette will face the #2 seed Central Penn College at 2:00 p.m. Thursday in Main Arena.  Central Maine C.C. will face the loser of #8 St. Joseph’s College of Vermont and #9 University of Maine Presque Isle in the consolation bracket Thursday at 1:15 p.m. at Maltho.

FINAL SCORE: #3 Concordia College Alabama 70, #6 SUNY Canton 66

RECORDS: Concordia College Alabama 14-12; SUNY Canton 19-4

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette at Maltho Gymnasium, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: In a game that saw 16 lead changes, the Concordia College Alabama Hornets defeated the SUNY Canton Roos 70-66 to the opening round of the Men’s Division I bracket.

ON THE COURT

• The Roos outrebounded the Hornets 34-16 in the first half but the teams remained tied at 38-38 going into halftime.
• Concordia coach Frederick Summers called a timeout to stop the momentum of the Roos who had jumped out to a six point led with under eight minutes to play in the second half. His team answered with a run of their own to switch momentum .
• Concordia took the lead off a Guy Barnes layup with just under five to play. Barnes would later sink a free throw to extend their lead to four with under seven seconds to play.
• The biggest lead of the game came in the final minutes as Concordia was able to open up a seven point lead with just under three minutes to play. SUNY Canton closed the gap to three thanks to some clutch free throw shooting but did not have enough to overcome the deficit.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Shaquille Duncan of Concordia led all players with 23 points and had 13 boards for a double-double on the night. Kendrick Atwood went 6-10 from the floor and 3-5 from behind the arc to finish with 16 points.
• Sam Annorh led the Roos with 21 points, four assists, and four rebounds. SUNY Canton outrebounded the Hornets 54 to 42. Kam Peterkin added 14 points from the bench and went 4-6 from behind the arc.
• Concordia scored 14 points off 12 Roo turnovers.

NEXT UP

Concordia College Alabama will advance and play Washington Adventist University. The semifinal will be played at Main Arena at 10:00 pm on Thursday, March 3^rd. SUNY Canton will face Berea College on Thursday in Main Arena at 10:00 am EST in a consolation match. 

FINAL SCORE: #2 Washington Adventist University 75, #7 Berea College 71

RECORDS: Washington Adventist University 15-11; Berea College 16-9

LOCATION: Penn State Fayette at Maltho Gymnasium, Uniontown, PA

IN BRIEF: The Washington Adventist University Shock were able to hold on to their first half lead to defeat the Berea College Mountaineers 75-71 in the Men’s Division I quarterfinal match up. Berea led early in the contest, but eventually slipped behind the Shock as the first-half progressed and were never able to recapture the lead.

ON THE COURT

• Berea jumped out to an early 8-3 lead before Washington Adventist went on a 12-3 run of their own to take control of the game.
• Richard Parker of Berea, a USCAA All-American, made eight straight points at one point in the first half, but his efforts were matched by Eric Lindsey and Tyrus Fleetwood of Washington Adventist.
• The Shock had their biggest lead of the game going into halftime, up 38-25. That lead was created with three three-pointers and two buckets from Player of the Year Brian Bridgeforth in the final five minutes of the contest.
• Corey Wise of Berea came out of the locker room on fire in the second half, making his first three shots to cut the deficit to a manageable margin.
• Lindsey sank two free throws with just seconds remaining on the clock to stretch the lead to four and seal the win for the Shock.

BEHIND THE BOXSCORE

• Fleetwood had a game-high 24 points on over 50% shooting for the Shock and added eight rebounds.  He also dished out four assists and had one steal. Lindsey and Jerry McFadden each contributed ten points for Washington Adventist.
• Wise was the top scorer with 22 points for the Mountaineers, going 4-9 from behind the arc and shooting just over 40% from the floor. Parker went 8-8 from the line and finished with 16 points and two rebounds.
• The Shock won the battle on the boards 49-34 over the Mountaineers. Berea College shot 70% from the line.

NEXT UP

Washington Adventist University moves on to face Concordia College Alabama on Thursday, March 3^rd in Main Arena at 10:00 pm EST. Berea College will face SUNY Canton on Thursday at 10:00 am EST in Main Arena in consolation action.