HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. - Christopher Newport University opened the 2023-24 men's basketball season Wednesday night, and the defending National Champions and top-ranked team in the country suffered a 74-53 defeat to the eighth-ranked Tigers of Hampden-Sydney College. The Tigers, playing in front of a frenzied home crowd, built a nine-point lead at halftime and never looked back en route to the 21-point triumph at Fleet Gymnasium.

The Captains, who knocked H-SC out of the NCAA Tournament last year in the second round, were plagued by poor overall shooting (29 percent) as well as three-point efforts (13 percent). Only sophomore Collin Hines reached double figures for CNU in the loss, scoring 12 points.

With the Captains trailing 21-20 with 4:54 to play in the opening half, the Tigers reeled off ten straight points to enjoy their first double-digit lead of the night. After Hampden-Sydney took a 31-22 lead to the locker room at the intermission, the Tigers exploded for an 11-0 run early in the second half to open up a 21-point lead, 45-24, and eventually pushed the advantage to as many as 24 points.

The Tigers, who were 22-7 last season and split a pair of games with the Captains, were led by a double-double effort from senior Davidson Hubbard, who scored 16 points and pulled down ten rebounds. Fifth-year senior Adam Brazil scored 15 for H-SC, as the Tigers scorched the nets in the second half by making 17 of 29 shots (59 percent) after halftime.

Christopher Newport made just 19 of 65 attempts for the night, and sank just three-of-24 from behind the three-point arc. The Captains were also beaten on the boards, 47-39.

Senior Ian Anderson topped the Captains in the rebounding column, with seven boards, all in the opening half. Anderson did not play in the second half due to an apparent ankle injury. In all, Head Coach John Krikorian used 18 players, including seven freshmen. In his first game as a Captain, freshman Hasan Hammad posted six points and six rebounds, and fellow freshman Ethan Ward pulled down five rebounds.

The Captains won't have much time to think about the season-opening loss, and will travel Thursday to Marietta, Ohio, for a two-day tourney on Friday and Saturday. CNU will play Kenyon College on Friday at 6:00 p.m., and then take on host Marietta College on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

CNU will have its home opener next Wednesday, November 15th, against Randolph-Macon College at 7:30 p.m. at the Freeman Center.