Until now, the Big Apple Classic was more like the “Rotten Apple Classic” for Virginia State University basketball.

For its first four trips to New York City, the Trojans returned to Ettrick without much more than crinkled subway cards and glum memories as souvenirs.

This time, they brought back something more prized — the gleaming Big Apple trophy — for defeating Virginia Union University, 72-61, last Saturday at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA Brooklyn Nets.

“We tried to avoid all the distractions that go with New York,” said second-year VSU coach Lonnie Blow.

“We stuck together, kept our minds on the game, and probably played our most consistent game of the year.”

Before a crowd of 4,658 in the event organized by Johnson Inc. of Richmond, VSU avenged four earlier Big Apple losses to VUU by hitting 27 of 52 shots (52 percent), while holding VUU to 21-62 (34 percent).

Getting the highest percentage shots of all was 6-foot-10 senior center Alphonso Leary, who was 7-for-7 from the field with four backboard-swaying dunks.

Now with five straight wins, the Trojans are 6-2 overall, and 1-0 in the CIAA. VUU fell to 4-6, 0-1 under first-year coach Tony Sheals, who has virtually a whole roster of newcomers.

Sheals retained only two players— Ray Anderson and Avery Jirmnson — from last year’s 6-20 team.

Next up for VSU is a 3:30 p.m. Daniel Gymnasium tipoff Saturday, Dec. 13, against Cheyney University, the 1978 NCAA Division II champ. VUU is off until Dec. 16, when it entertains Glenville, W.Va., State University, at 7 p.m.

Towering and intimidating, Leary is VSU’s version of the Empire State Building. A Howard University transfer, Leary has averaged 14.3 points during its five-game winning streak, sinking 32 of 44 shots, mostly within an arm’s length of the hoop.

Defensively, the Norfolk native is the program’s top rim protector since Avis Wyatt, Class of 2007. 

“Alphonso has gotten better offensively,” said Blow. “At Howard, he was pretty much in there for rebounds and blocking shots. He has worked hard and it has paid off.”

While Leary can impose his will in the paint, senior guard Lamar Kearse is the prince of the perimeter.

The lithe 6-footer from Syracuse, by way of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, had 13 points and five assists at Barclays and rates with the CIAA’s elite ball handlers.

“Lamar is an experienced kid who does a lot of the little things to keep us on track,” said coach Blow.

VSU has now defeated VUU two times in a row for the first time in more than a decade. VUU defeated Virginia State 23 times in a row before the Trojans won the 2013 Freedom Classic.

Currently, VSU is the Big Apple and Freedom Classic Champion, something it couldn’t say for many a moon.

Rest may be in order for VUU.

VUU fell to Morehouse and Tuskegee Dec. 4 and 5 in Charlotte, before falling to VSU in Gotham. Three games in three days will test the legs of any team, especially considering the logistics — Richmond to Charlotte to New York City.

At least VUU has something to be happy about, or, rather, “Happi.”

Coach Sheals welcomes to his roster the imposing 6-foot-7, 235-pound presence of Cedric Happi Noube of Cameroon.

Noube, who had 8 points and 6 rebounds against VSU, became eligible just prior to the Charlotte trip. Noube came to VUU from Emilio Aquinaldo College in Manila, Philippines.

Virginia Union and Virginia State will meet again Jan. 18 in the Freedom Classic at the Richmond Coliseum.

In a Big Apple Classic nightcap Sunday evening, Anthony McDonald scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers as defending MEAC champ North Carolina Central University squashed Howard University, 61-39.

McDonald graduated from Mississippi Valley State University last summer and transferred to NCCU for his last year of eligibility. This is his fourth school in four years after playing as a freshman at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College, a sophomore at Mississippi Delta Community College and last season at Mississippi Valley State University.

It bares similarities to Richmonder Russell Wilson, the NFL Seattle Seahawks quarterback who played three years of football and graduated from North Carolina State University before transferring to the University of Wisconsin to finish his college career.

McDonald, averaging 15 points, made eight 3-point shots earlier against Johnson & Wales and is 36-82 (44 percent) for the season beyond the arc.