YORK, Pa. –Christopher Newport staged a dramatic second half comeback Saturday afternoon at York College, but fell to the Spartans in double overtime, 101-97. The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak, and leaves the Captains tied with the Spartans atop the Capital Athletic Conference standings with 7-1 league records. Both teams are also now 18-5 overall with two games to play in the regular season.
 
Christopher Newport jumped to an early eight-point lead, 14-6, before the Spartans surged in front on their home floor. York eventually stretched the lead to 14 at halftime, 39-25, and then extended the advantage to 17 early in the second half.
 
The Captains, who had five players foul out of the game including four starters, stormed back and pulled even at 64-64 on a three-pointer from senior Luther Gibbs with 3:39 to play. Three minutes later with just 39 seconds left in regulation, junior Adrian Beasley drained a three to pull the Captains even again at 74-74. York senior Jared Wagner missed a three in the final seconds to send the game to overtime.
 
Christopher Newport took the lead for the first time since the opening half early in overtime when senior Cutch Ellis knocked down a triple to put the Captains in front, 77-74. After York regained the advantage, Christopher Newport again battled back to tie the game at 87-87 with two free throws from sophomore Keyshawn Jefferson with just 23 seconds remaining in OT. York's Darin Gordon then missed a three-point attempt in the final seconds of the extra period to send the game to a second overtime.
 
Again the Captains captured the lead with a Beasley three-pointer, 90-87, only to see the Spartans bounce right back yet again. York ended up out-scoring Christopher Newport in the second OT, 14-10, to pull out the 101-97 final verdict in front of 2,080 fans at Charles Wolf Gymnasium.
 
"I'm very proud of my guys and what we did today," Head Coach John Krikorian said. "I knew we would battle back after we got down, and somehow found a way to keep competing. This will make us better, we need to learn from it and move forward."
 
York senior Jared Wagner finished with a career-high 38 points, and made 19 of 25 foul shots. Wagner, who was honored prior to the game on senior day along with three other Spartans, was just one of eight from long range, and made nine of 21 shots. The win was the eighth straight for the Spartans, who lost to the Captains at the Freeman Center on January 10^th, 79-68, in the first meeting this season.
 
Gibbs led four Captains to finish in double figures with a career-high 18 points. Jefferson also registered a career-best 17 points, while Beasley posted 16, and Ellis finished with 15 points. 
 
The Captains were whistled for 41 total fouls to 26 called on York. The Spartans made 40 of 54 free throws (74 percent), while the Captains were 19 of 31 at the line for the day (61 percent). Junior Jason Aigner fouled out with over nine minutes remaining in the second half with four points. Aigner is now 14 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Senior Dalon McHugh II left the game in the first overtime with five fouls, while Gibbs, Ellis and senior Nick Parks all fouled out in the second overtime.

Christopher Newport out-rebounded York, 51-46, as Ellis and McHugh each pulled down nine boards. The epic battle was tied 12 times, and featured five lead changes. 
 
 Both of the Captains remaining games in the regular season will be played at the Freeman Center. Christopher Newport returns to action next Saturday, February 15^th, hosting Salisbury with the tipoff set for 4:00 p.m. and six senior Captains will be honored prior to the start of the game on Senior Day.