SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Junior Marcus Carter scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half Saturday night as Christopher Newport held off Swarthmore College, 77-67.  The Captains, now 27-2, will advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament riding a 21-game winning streak.
 
"I couldn't be more proud of our determination and effort tonight to win this game," Head Coach John Krikorian said. "This is a tough place to play, and they're a good team. I thought we stepped up when they made a run in the second half and did a fantastic job to hold them off."
 
The Captains, who advanced to the Final Four last season, will play Keene State in the Sweet 16 next Friday at a location to be determined.
 
Carter, an All-American a year ago as a sophomore, posted a double-double with 10 rebounds to go with his 22 points. It was his third of the season. Senior Rayshard Brown registered a career-high 18 points, and set the tone by scoring a dozen in the opening half.
 
Senior Tim Daly recorded 14 points and nine rebounds, and junior Aaron McFarland also reached double digits with 11.
 
CNU opened a 14-point lead at halftime, 39-25, and then went up by as many as 15 in the second half. Swarthmore cut the lead to four, 52-48, with 11:11 to go in the second half, but could get no closer.
 
The Captains out-rebounded the Garnet, one of the top rebounding squads in the nation, by a 41-25 margin and held a 19-5 advantage on the offensive boards for the night. Christopher Newport also held a 27-5 edge on second-chance points.
 
"This is what it's about, surviving and advancing," Krikorian continued. "We'll enjoy this and begin the process next week of getting ready for Keene State."
 
CNU defeated Keene State last year in the NCAA Tournament, 74-62, in the Sweet 16 round in Oswego, NY. The trip to the Sweet 16 will be the seventh all-time for the Captains, who are making their 21^st NCAA appearance.
 
Swarthmore finishes the season with a 23-6 mark. The Garnet was led by 22 points from sophomore Cam Wiley.