FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - In a battle that went to the final buzzer Saturday, the fourth-ranked Captains of Christopher Newport University held off the University of Mary Washington, 68-67, at Ron Rosner Arena at the Anderson Center. The game concluded the regular season for both squads, and the Captains raised their record to 22-2 with their 19th straight victory.

Fifth-year senior Adrian Beasley came off the bench to score 19 points, one shy of his career high, to lead the CNU attack. Mary Washington scored on a three-pointer as time expired in the second half cutting the final verdict to one.

"I think one of the things that really separates us from other teams is our depth," Head Coach John Krikorian said. "Today Adrian stepped in when our other guys weren't getting good looks and got the job done. He was the difference in the game, and Matt Brodie also gave us a lift as well as Ian Anderson, who had some really great defensive stops...so our depth was showcased today, and we certainly needed every bit of it."

Mary Washington jumped to an early 13-4 before the Captains surged ahead thanks in large part to Beasley, who drained three triples and had 13 points in the opening twenty minutes. CNU held a 33-30 edge at the intermission, and opened the second half by going on a 10-2 run to open its biggest lead of the game, 43-32. The Captains would later again push the lead to 11, 49-38, but he Eagles would not go away quietly.

UMW bounced back by stringing together a 20-10 streak to cut the lead to one, 59-58, but the Eagles could never pull even or jump back in front. Senior Riley Welch, who finished with a team-high 17 points, raced down the court in the final seconds with the Captains leading by four and launched a three-pointer that bounced on rim several times before going in. As the ball fell through the net, the final horn sounded and the Captains held on for the one-point triumph.

"When you're battling a team like Mary Washington on senior day on their floor, you know it's going to be a battle to the finish," Krikorian continued. "Being challenged like that, as we have been by Salisbury as well, will only help us as we move forward into the postseason."

Sophomore Jahn Hines, CNU's leading scorer this season, delivered in a big way in the second half for the Captains. After scoring just two points in the opening half, Hines scored 13 in the second stanza to match his season's average of 15 points and also led the squad in rebounds with 13. It marked his fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore Trey Barber, who started his career by playing his freshman season for Mary Washington, recorded ten points, nine rebounds, and three blocks against his former squad. Barber is fifth in the nation in Division III in blocks per game.

The Captains not only won the game by one, but also won the battle of the boards by the same margin, out-rebounding the Eagles, 45-44, for the day. The loss was the fourth straight for UMW, amd the Eagles concluded the regular season with a 15-8 mark. 

Saturday's matinee was the 40th game all-time in the series, and the Captains now hold a 33-7 edge. CNU has won the last five, and 14 of the last 15 dating back to January of 2015. 

The Captains will host the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament next weekend at the Freeman Center. Action begins on Thursday, February 24, when the 4th-seed will play the 5th-seed in a 5:00 p.m. quarterfinal. The semifinals will be played on Friday, February 25, with games at 5:00 p.m. (Top-seed Christopher Newport vs. 4/5 winner) and 7:30 p.m. (2nd-seed vs. 3rd-seed). The Championship game will take place next Saturday, February 26, with start time set for 7:00 p.m. The full bracket and schedule will be released Monday by the conference.