NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport resumes the 2017-2018 men's basketball campaign this weekend, as CNU hosts the Crowne Plaza Captains Shootout at the Freeman Center. The two-day tournament begins Friday at 5:30 p.m. as Johns Hopkins plays New Jersey City University. Christopher Newport will then take on Shenandoah at approximately 7:30 p.m. The tournament continues on Saturday with the third-place game at 4:00 p.m. followed by the championship at 6:00 p.m.

The Captains are 7-2 and last played on Monday, December 18th, when they defeated Virginia Wesleyan in Virginia Beach, 71-68. John Krikorian's squad has posted a 3-1 mark so far this season in Capital Athletic Conference play. The Captains have been paced so far this season by a trio of seniors. Aaron McFarland is leading the way, averaging 20.0 points per game. Marcus Carter has played in just three games due to an ankle injury, but has posted an average of 14.3 points per game. Big man Spencer Marin is scoring 13.2 points per game and is also leading the Captains on the boards with 8.1 rebounds per outing.  

CNU will take on a familiar foe in Shenandoah University Friday evening. The Captains and Hornets were longtime members of the Dixie/USA South Athletic Conference, and will be meeting for the 60th time with CNU holding a 46-13 advantage in the all-time series. The schools first met in the 1970-1971 season, and the Captains have won the last seven in the series. The last time the squads tangled was in the Captains Shootout two years ago, a game that saw CNU record an 80-69 victory.

Shenandoah is off to a 6-3 start to the 2017-2018 campaign. The Hornets are led by first-year head coach Adam Walsh, and last played on Tuesday, December 19th, in a 94-90 overtime victory at Elizabethtown. SU is now a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, and the Hornets are 1-1 so far in conference play.

The schools opening the shootout on Friday are also off to good starts to their seasons. Johns Hopkins is 7-1 and had a seven-game winning streak to start the season snapped by 25th-ranked Franklin & Marshall on December 6th. New Jersey City University is 9-0 heading into the tournament, and the Gothic Knights last played on Saturday, December 16th, in an 81-80 triumph at Albertus Magnus College.

Action will be streamed live on CNUsports.com/live. CNU games are also broadcast live on the Christopher Newport/Pepsi Radio Network (Xtra 99.1 FM) with the pre-game show beginning 20 minutes prior to tipoff.