BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The 11th ranked Christopher Newport University Captains (29-3)  will take on #2 Amherst College (30-1) Friday night, in the first of two NCAA National Semifinal games hosted by Illinois Wesleyan College in Bloomington, Illinois. It is the Captains first ever trip to the Final Four, and they will face off against the Lord Jeffs, who are in their third straight national semifinal trip.

GAME & TICKET INFORMATION
FRIDAY, MARCH 18 - NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
Game 1:
#2 Amherst College vs. #11 Christopher Newport University - 5:00 pm (CT)/6:00 pm (ET)
Live Stats
Live Video
Live Audio
Game Notes

Game 2:
#12 Washington University in St. Louis vs. #7 Illinois Wesleyan College - 7:00 pm (CT)/8:00 pm (ET)
Live Stats
Live Video
Live Audio

SATURDAY, MARCH 19 - NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DAY
4 p.m. - Third Place Game - Live Stats  /  Live Video  /  Box Score

7 p.m. - Championship Game - Live Stats  /  Live Video  /  Box Score

All four games will be video webcast by the NCAA free to all viewers and Gametracker live stats will also be provided.

All-session tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and senior citizens aged 62 and over. Single-session tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and senior citizens. Tickets are available online through the NCAA Championships website or by calling the Shirk Center Box Office at 309-556-3196. Tickets will also be sold at the event, as available.

VIEWING PARTY ON CNU CAMPUS
For fans that can not make it to Illinois this weekend, Christopher Newport University is hosting a Fan Viewing Party in the Concert Hall of the Ferguson Center, beginning at 6:00 pm. All fans are welcome to attend, free of charge. Refreshments will be available at halftime and door prizes will be awarded.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Local Newspaper Coverage
Tia Perry and Lauren Gural pace CNU's defense in Final Four - Marty O'Brien, Daily Press
CNU's Schweers looks to shine in Final Four spotlight - Marty O'Brien, Daily Press
Shooting star Schweers leads CNU into Final Four - Rich Radford, Virginian-Pilot
D3Hoops.com Coverage:
Television Coverage:
CNU heading to the final 4 - Chris Reckling, WAVY-TV 10
CNU's Final Four preparations - Scott Cash, WVEC-TV 13

FINAL FOUR PREVIEW
Christopher Newport University
Christopher Newport University is participating in its first Final Four in school history - men's or women's - and is looking to expand on its most successful season in program history. The Captains (29-3) reached the NCAA Sweet 16 a year ago, setting a new program mark for victories in a season with 30, but have advanced even further this year with a trip to the national semifinals.

CNU is the top three-point shooting team in the nation, knocking down 44.7% of their trey's this season, led by the nation's leading scorer, Chelsie Schweers. In her swan song season, Schweers has moved into number two all-time in scoring, with over 2,800 career points, and is Division III's all-time leader in three-pointers made, with 411. Schweers has scored 132 points in four NCAA Tournament games, leading the championship with 33.0 points per game, and is threatening the all-time NCAA Tournament record for scoring (162 by Crystal Coleman - Bishop).

Seniors Barbara Davis and Jessica Moore lock down the front line in support of Schweers. Davis leads the team in rebounding, while Moore is second on the team in scoring and rebounding. The two senior front-court players have helped CNU to the 23rd best rebounding margin in the country, outrebounding opponents by nine boards per game.

CNU advanced to the Final Four with two dramatic victories in the sectional round over #9 Kean University, 80-76, and #16 Lebanon Valley College, 62-50.

Amherst College
The Lord Jeffs were one of the top teams in the nation throughout this season, and remain ranked #2 in the country heading into the postseason. Amherst has a 30-1 overall record and was the top-ranked team in the nation for several weeks in the first half of the year. The Lord Jeffs are an incredibly seasoned group, entering their third straight Final Four appearance, falling in the semifinals both of the last two appearances.

Amherst became just the fourth team in NCAA history to win 30 games in back-to-back seasons, a feat CNU is trying to duplicate with one win this weekend. They are an offensive juggernaut, outscoring opponents by a nationwide best 28.8 points per game. As solid as they are defensively, Amherst also sports an impressive defense, ranking sixth in the nation in field-goal percentage defense and eighth in blocked shots.

Senior Jaci Diagneault leads the way in both scoring and rebounding, with 15.2 and 7.2 respectively. Caroline Stedman averages 10.2 points per game while sharp-shooter Kim Fiorentino has played well in the NCAA Tournament, with 13.5 points per game and a ridiculous 64.3% shooting in four postseason games.

Washington University in St. Louis
The defending national champion Bears come in as the lowest ranked team remaining in the final weekend, at #12 nationally. With a 24-5 record, the Bears enter the Final Four with more losses than any other remaining team, but are appearing in their NCAA-record 10th Final Four and are a storied program, winning four straight national championships in the early 2000s, while adding last years ring.

Washington also has had arguably the most solid tournament, facing the toughest road to the Final Four in four top ten opponents in four games. They rose to the top by dropping two unbeaten teams (Thomas More & Denison) by double figures, and escaping with tight victories over Hope and Chicago.

Washington is a balanced team with six players contributing over six points a game. Leading the way is Kathryn Berger, scoring 13.8 points per game and hauling in 6.5 boards per contest.

Illinois Wesleyan College
The host school of the Final Four will have the crowd support at their back and deservedly so, as the Titans have gone 27-4 this season to reach the final weekend.  The Titans nearly missed their chance at appearing in this event, down 23 points to George Fox in the sectional final, but stormed back to take a one-point victory and the bid into the Final Four, 61-60.

Three players average double figures for the Titans, led by Stacey Arlis' 14.5 points per game, while Arlis also grabs a team-high 6.3 rebounds per contest. Arlis leads the country in field-goal percentage at over 64% from the field this season. The Titans take a lot of three's, as Olivia Lett (14.0 points per game) and Nikki Preston (11.9 points per game) are the other two in double figures and are the team's leading shooters.