Lewter, Ruffin Named To USCAA All-American Teams

PITTSBURGH, PA. - The Apprentice School basketball teams had one player each named to the 2008-09 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association All-American teams announced Tuesday night at the pre-tournament banquet.

Men's basketball senior Eric Ruffin and women's basketball senior Rahshann Lewter were named to the All-American teams.  For Lewter this makes her third honor, while Ruffin makes it for the second year in a row.

Lewter, a Hampton High graduate and a production planner apprentice, will end her career with her name etched throughout the record books.  She is currently the all-time leader in assists (445), second in steals (285), second in free throws made (253), fourth all-time in scoring (1,193 points), fourth in field goals made (449) and sixth in 3-pointers made (42).

This season she is averaging 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game as the Lady Builders finished the regular season 16-11 and are the third-seed for the USCAA National Championships beginning for them on Thursday afternoon.  She scored a season-high 24 points against NCAA Division II Mount Olive College and dished out a season high 11 assists three times.  Against Penn State Fayette Lewter recorded only the fourth triple-double in school history with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a home victory.  Lewter was also honored by being named to the USCAA All-Academic Team. 

Ruffin earned his second straight honor on the men's team after a senior season where he rewrote the men's assists records.  The Suffolk native and shipfitter apprentice averaged 15 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game.  He broke the school single game assist record with 15 against Concordia University (Calif.) and Ohio State-Marion.  Ruffin now holds the top two single season assists totals topped with his 210 this year.  He scored a career-high 28 points in a home win over Ohio State-Marion last weekend.

Earning honorable mention honors on the women's team included Tamara Davis and Valleri West.  Both Hampton natives, Davis averaged 13.3 points and 9.7 rebounds to lead the team in that category.  West  was third in scoring averaging 11.2 points per game, while she was second to Davis in rebounding averaging 6.8 per contest.