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LANCASTER, PA- It's not often that a player scores 45 points in a game, let alone in a single half. Friday night in the opening round of the Division III NCAA Tournament, DaQuan Brooks of Western Connecticut State did exactly that as the Colonials ended CNU's season.

Brooks, who was held by the Captains to seven points in the opening half, went off for 45 in the second as the Colonials pulled ahead and eventually beat CNU, 94-84. Brooks' 52 points is the most ever scored by an opponent vs. the Captains in the 45-year history of CNU men's basketball.

"In my 15 years of coaching, I've never seen a single player beat a team the way he did tonight," CNU Head Coach John Krikorian said after the loss. "We didn't change anything from the first to the second half, he just took over. We knew how good he was, and he showed tonight what he's truly capable of."

The Captains, who finished the season with a 23-5 record, led by as many as eight points early in the second half before Brooks took over. The first round game was played on the campus of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

Brooks, a senior who has been the MVP of the Little East Conference for the last three years, finished 17 of 35 from the field and 13 of 14 at the foul line. He averaged 28.5 points per game this season, third in the NCAA.

Luc Atangana led the Captains with 16 points, while Conley Taylor, Mike Cherry, and Nik Biberaj each scored 15. Tra Benefield scored 12 as all five CNU starters finished in double figures. Biberaj also pulled down 11 rebounds for a double-double.

CNU took a two-point lead at the half on a Mike Cherry layup in the final seconds of the first half. The Captains had been 15-0 when leading at halftime this season.

Tra Benefield scored six quick points early in the second half as the Captains built the lead to eight, 44-36. Western Connecticut battled back and the game remained tight. CNU took a 62-56 lead with 8:49 to go, and that's when Brooks took over.

The senior from Atlanta led the Colonials on a 38-22 run to finish the game, and scored 27 of the team's 38 points over the last 8:49.

Western Connecticut State advances to the second round with a 21-6 record. The Colonials will play Saturday night in Lancaster in the second round.

The game marked the end of the careers of five senior Captains (Conley Taylor, Tyren Johns, Jacob Capin, Loren Farris, and Hector Feliciano-Ayala). Taylor finished his career with 1,821 points, fourth on the all-time scoring list.

The NCAA appearance was the 18th in the history of CNU men's basketball, and the first since John Krikorian took over from C.J. Woollum two years ago.