Click here for CNU Men's Basketball Game Notes
Click here for CNU Women's Basketball Game Notes

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Back at the Freeman Center for the first time in two weeks, the Christopher Newport basketball programs will host a key Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader against Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon. The CNU women's basketball team is set to tip at 2:00 pm while the 9th-ranked men's team will start at approximately 4:00 pm.

During the men's game, both coaching staffs will be wearing tennis shoes with their gameday suits in an effort to raise awareness and support for The American Cancer Society. The Coaches vs. Cancer's Annual Suits & Sneakers Awareness Week runs from January 25-31 this year, and both the Lions and Captains' coaching staffs will participate in the annual event on Saturday. Saturday is also Hall of Fame Day at the Freeman Center, with six new inductees joining the CNU Athletics Hall of Fame at halftime of the men's game. Accepting the honor will be a pair of former basketball players Jo-Jo Chambers and Terry Gray, football player Tunde Ogun, track & field national champion Tamiko Patterson, softball alumna Kristen Rowe and the first All-American in men's tennis history, Detlef Scholz. 

In addition to all the hooplah surrounding the game, the actual hoops will provide fans in the Freeman Center with a tough matchup at the top of the league standings.  The Captains (16-1, 10-0) are up to ninth in the country according to the D3hoops.com Top 25 and have a three-game lead in the CAC standings, while Penn State Harrisburg (10-7, 5-5) is in third place, looking to be the first team in conference play to topple first-place CNU. 

Earlier this season, the two teams tangled in a tough battle that saw the Lions close within three points with just over eight minutes to play before the Captains pulled away for a 77-65 win on the road. It was the second win in the Captains current seven-game winning streak, and the only setback in a six-game stretch for the Lions.  No stranger to tough playing environments, Penn State Harrisburg has won four of its five conference games on the road this season. 

In CNU's last game, five different players finished in double figures in a win at Southern Virginia. Among them, leading scorer Aaron McFarland (15.8 ppg), Marcus Carter (15.1 ppg), and Tim Daly (11.6 ppg) lead the Captains in scoring this season. McFarland leads the CAC and ranks 16th nationally in three-point shooting, knocking down 46.3% of his attempts with 50 made treys. 

Penn State Harrisburg is looking to shake a three-game losing streak, leaning on junior guard Jazmon Harris at 14 points per game. The lone Lion averaging double figures ranks seventh in the league in scoring and minutes played. Head coach Don Friday's team also features one of the league's top shot blockers in Gbolahan Alliyu, averaging 2.1 swats per contest. 

Prior to the big men's matchup, the CNU women will look to continue a big streak of their own. The Captains (15-2, 8-2) have won ten straight games and are still locked in a three-way tie for second in the CAC. They'll face a Penn State Harrisburg team with a 7-10 overall record with a 3-7 mark in conference play. 

Leading the way for head coach Bill Broderick's team during the longest winning streak since 2013-14 has been Anitra Thomas. The sophomore guard has led the team in scoring in five of the last seven games and has increased her scoring average to a team-best 10.8 points per game. Sam Porter and Devon Byrd are pouring in just under 10 points per game and lead the team in rebounding with 6.2 and 5.6 rebounds per game, respectively. 

The Lions feature one of the league's top rebounders in senior Kiara Carter, grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game. She ranks second in the CAC in rebounds. In the Captains' first matchup with Penn State Harrisburg, the Lions' second-leading rebounder, Lucky Snypse, was out with an injury, but returned to the lineup last week. Offensively, Kaitlyn Carmo and Jasmine Yanich lead the way with 9.6 and 9.3 points per game. 

Both games will be featured in a live video webcast with live stats at CNUsports.com/live. Broadcasts will begin approximately 20 minutes prior to tip.