NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - CNU put together one of its best games of the season and scored a surprisingly easy, 89-79, victory over N.C. Wesleyan in USA South action at the Freeman Center Wednesday night.
The Captains built a 20-point lead, 77-57, with 5:28 to go, and then held off the Bishops to even their conference mark at 1-1 and improve to 6-7 overall.
N.C. Wesleyan scored the first seven points of the game, but CNU battled back to go in front, 23-22, on a dunk by Brian Hermann at the 8:36 mark.
The Bishops briefly regained the lead, but a three-pointer by Jake Capin gave CNU a 26-24 margin it would never relinquish. Capin led all scorers at halftime with 17 points including going 5-6 on three-pointers as CNU went in front, 45-37.
In the second half, N.C. Wesleyan closed to within five early, but a 15-4 run by CNU extended the margin to 61-45 and the Bishops only got the deficit below double-digits in the closing moments.
Capin finished with a career-high 22 points. Mike Green added 16 and Mark Blasingame scored 12, grabbed ten rebounds and blocked four shots. Josh Russell chipped in with 12 points, making four of eight three-pointers, as CNU shot .556 from the floor and converted 12 of 21 threes.
The Captains also out-rebounded the Bishops, 35-28. Trey Drake paced N.C. Wesleyan, which is now 5-9, 1-1, with 21 points.
CNU goes back on the road this weekend for games at Averett Saturday and Ferrum Sunday, both at 4 p.m.
The box score