BROKEN ARROW, OKLA. - Senior Whitney Lassiter scored 15 points
to lead three in double figures for Apprentice School as they
bounced back from Thursday's first-round loss to blast Philander
Smith College 75-53 at the USCAA Women's Basketball Nationals on
Friday.
The win put the Lady Builders into a 10 am EST game against
third-seeded Robert Morris-Springfield for fifth place in the
12-team tournament.
Apprentice School (18-7) struggled in the first half as the
score was tied on six occasions, the last being 21-all on a Sekenia
Hicks layup with 3:57 left. From there the Lady Builders started
showing signs of life closing the half on an 8-1 run to take a
29-22 lead into halftime on a Upenda Morton jumper with 57 seconds
left.
In the second half the Lady Builders put it in fast forward
blasting a 17-2 run over a three minute span capped by a Lassiter
3-point play for a 50-27 advantage with 13:50 left in the game.
Junior Tyechia Cooke had 12 points and sophomore Shameka Warren
also scored 12 points with five rebounds and three blocked shots.
Saturday's game will be a rematch of a December 1 game at
Southern Virginia University where Robert Morris scored a 65-59
victory. An Apprentice School win would be the 100th in the
coaching career of associate head coach Judi Overbey.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL 75, PHILANDER SMITH 53
PHILANDER SMITH: Sekenia Hicks 5-9 3-4 13;
Adrianne Dredd 3-10 5-8 12; Chelsea Wilson 4-12 2-2 10; Shontaye
Reed 3-5 2-8 9; Kenia Himon 0-6 4-7 4; Victoria Murdock 1-6 0-2 2;
Brittney Ward 0-1 2-2 2; Brittany Bolds 0-1 1-2 1; Alicia Clark 0-0
0-0 0; Miracle Donnerson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-50 19-35 53.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL (18-7): Whitney Lassiter 7-10
1-1 15; Shameka Warren 6-9 0-0 12; Tyechia Cooke 4-10 4-5 12;
Upenda Morton 4-8 0-0 9; Ashley Barlow 2-11 3-6 7; Tia Walker 2-7
0-1 5; Dayna Twyne 1-6 3-6 5; Rahshann Lewter 2-6 0-1 4; Natasha
Jones 1-9 1-2 3; Cametrice Butcher 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 30-79 13-24
75.
Halftime: Apprentice 29-22. 3-point goals--Philander Smith 2-9
(Shontaye Reed 1-3; Adrianne Dredd 1-2; Victoria Murdock 0-2;
Brittany Bolds 0-1; Sekenia Hicks 0-1), Apprentice School 2-13 (Tia
Walker 1-5; Upenda Morton 1-4; Rahshann Lewter 0-1; Natasha Jones
0-2; Whitney Lassiter 0-1). Fouled out--Philander Smith-Sekenia
Hicks, Apprentice School-Shameka Warren. Rebounds--Philander Smith
46 (Sekenia Hicks 13), Apprentice School 55 (Ashley Barlow 11).
Assists--Philander Smith 9 (Adrianne Dredd 3; Victoria Murdock 3),
Apprentice School 8 (Rahshann Lewter 3). Total fouls--Philander
Smith 21, Apprentice School 25. Technical fouls--Philander
Smith-None, Apprentice School-None.
