NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- The spring semester begins at Christopher Newport University on Wednesday morning, and the CNU men's and women's basketball squads will have a Capital Athletic Conference test Wednesday night at the Freeman Center. The Captains host the Wolverines, with the women's action tipping off at 5 p.m. followed by the men's game at approximately 7 p.m.

Despite the frigid weather, CNU's teams have been heating up the hardwood and have posted a combined record of 19-3 so far. The men, ranked 14th in the nation this week, are 10-1 and riding a seven-game winning streak. John Krikorian's troop is currently tied for the top spot in the league with a 3-0 CAC record. The women, coached by Bill Broderick, are 9-2 overall and 2-1 in the Capital. The CNU women's squad is ranked 21st in the nation this week and the Captains have won four straight games.

The men's game will feature two top 20 programs, as the Wolverines are ranked 16th in the country this week. The Wesley men are 9-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The national ranking of 16 is the highest in Wesley men's basketball program history, and the Wolverines have won their last four.

The CNU men are led by senior Tra Benefield, who is averaging 19.2 points per game. Benefield, a pre-season All-America selection, went over the 1,500 point mark in Saturday's 72-59 victory over Frostburg State. CNU's senior captain will be playing in his 90th career game, and has now scored 1,506 career points, 8th on the school's all-time scoring list.

Sophomore Connor Laframboise is coming off a season-high 20 points on Saturday against the Bobcats. Laframboise made six of 11 three point attempts, with four coming in the second half allowing the Captains to pull away.

The Wesley women's program is just 2-7, but the Wolverines have won their last two games after an 0-7 start. 

The CNU women have continued to dominate teams who venture into the Freeman Center. Since the end of the 2011-12 season, CNU has run off 21 straight victories at home, including a perfect 4-0 start this season. Head coach Bill Broderick has yet to suffer a setback at home, now working in his second season at CNU with a 17-0 all-time mark in the friendly confines. 

This season, the Captains high-powered offense, ranking in the nation's top 25 at 79.2 points per game, has been led by a pair of seniors climbing the all-time scoring charts at CNU. Tia Perry, who eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau earlier this season, is averaging a team-best 17.9 points per game; and Nicole Mitchell, who is just 38 points shy of the illustrious mark, is pouring in 16.3 points per game. Both are also the team's first- and second-leading rebounders, hauling in nearly 15 boards per game combined.

Tickets for the doubleheader will be available at the Freeman Center Ticket Office. The games will be broadcast live on www.CNUsports.com/live

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