NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport captured a hard-fought defensive battle Wednesday night at the Freeman Center, defeating St. Mary's College of Maryland, 66-58. The victory was the sixth straight for the Captains, who are now tied with Marymount at 6-1 atop the Capital Athletic Conference standings. CNU will travel to Marymount Saturday to take on the Saints for sole possession of the top spot.

The back-and-forth battle produced seven lead changes, and was tight until the final minutes of the second half when the Captains were able to pull away. The final margin of eight points was CNU's biggest lead of the evening.

"That was just a heavyweight fight with two determined teams," Head Coach John Krikorian said following the triumph. "We did just enough and were just a bit better, and I couldn't be any happier with our effort and intensity."

Freshman Marcus Carter and sophomore Tim Daly both posted double-doubles, as the Captains ended a six-game losing streak to the Seahawks. Carter recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds while Daly added 13 points and 11 boards. Two other Captains, sophomore Kevin Regimbal and freshman Aaron McFarland, contributed 11 points each. It marked the first double-figure performance of Regimbal's CNU career.

The Captains got off to a slow start, missing their first 14 field goal attempts, and fell behind by as many as seven in the opening half. When St. Mary's leading scorer, senior Nick LaGuerre, picked up his second foul midway through the opening half and left the game, CNU mounted a rally that saw the Captains surge ahead by as many as seven. The Seahawks battled back and cut the lead to two at the half, 27-25.

The teams then continued their seesaw battle through the second half, with the lead exchanging hands four times in the second stanza. LaGuerre, who came into the game averaging 19 points per game, took over for St. Mary's and registered 18 of his game-high 23 points in the second half. CNU answered with big second-half performances from Carter (10 points), McFarland (nine points), and Regimbal (eight points). The Captains knocked down six of their seven three-pointers for the night in the second half and pulled away in the final minutes to the eight-point victory.

"We needed some people to step up in the second half, and they really did," Krikorian continued. "We hit some big shots and kept battling. This is a tremendous win, but there is a lot of basketball to be played. We are always looking forward, and we've got to get back to work tomorrow and start getting ready for Marymount."

CNU's depth proved to be a factor, as the Captains were able to get 18 points off their bench, while the Seahawks managed just six bench points for the night. Christopher Newport's defense held St. Mary's to just 32 percent shooting, and forced 16 Seahawks turnovers.

The victory improved CNU's overall record to 11-3, and the Captains are now 7-1 this year at the Freeman Center. 

Junior Tanner Brooks recorded a double-double for St. Mary's, scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. The Seahawks are now 8-4 overall and 5-2 in CAC play.

CNU's first-place showdown with Marymount is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. tipoff on Saturday in Arlington. Marymount defeated Salisbury Wednesday night, 60-56, to improve to 12-2 overall and 6-1 in conference action. 





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