NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport out-scored Southern Virginia Saturday, 41-17, in the second half en route to a 75-40 victory over the Knights. The win at the Freeman Center improved CNU's record to 10-1 overall and 4-0 atop the Capital Athletic Conference.
The Captains led at the half, 34-23, and then blew the game open thanks to an 11-2 run to start the second half. CNU never looked back and cruised to victory in the squad's first action of 2016.
Sophomore
Marcus Carter led the way with 21 points in 21 minutes of playing time. Carter made eight of 13 shots and also registered three steals. Junior
Tim Daly posted 16 points, ten in the second half, and also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.Sophomore
Aaron McFarland was also in double figures, scoring 13 points.
"I didn't expect this kind of victory," Head Coach
John Krikorian said. "We did a lot of good things especially on the defensive side, and got to play a lot of people." CNU utilized 17 players in the 35-point victory, and no one saw more than 23 minutes of floor time.
CNU's defense held Southern Virginia to 26 percent shooting (14 of 54) for the game. The Captains also out-rebounded the Knights, 51-30. It was the fourth straight loss for SVU, and the Knights are now 3-8 overall and 2-2 in the CAC. Cale Thornton led the Knights with 11 points off the bench.
The victory was the 200th for CNU men's basketball in the Freeman Center since the opening of the facility in 2000. It was also the 250th game for the team in the Freeman Center, giving the Captains an all-time mark of 200-50 in the building for a winning percentage of 80 percent. Christopher Newport is now 11-1 all-time against the Knights.
CNU bounced back after ending 2015 on Wednesday with a loss to Scranton in the title game of the Captains Shootout, halting a nine-game winning streak to start the season.
The Captains, ranked 11th in the nation, return to action on Wednesday night when they play at Penn State-Harrisburg. Tipoff time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Middletown, Pennsylvania. The Lions will enter play Wednesday night with an 8-3 overall record and a 3-1 mark in the CAC.
