NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Freshmen Toa Hollenbeck and Ethan Ward as well as fifth-year senior Ian Anderson led the way as Christopher Newport University held off Pfeiffer University 68-61, Monday night at the Freeman Center. The victory improved the Captains' record to 17-5 on the season, while the Falcons dropped to 7-9.

Hollenbeck led CNU in scoring for the third straight game by posting 15 points off the bench. Ward registered career highs with13 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Anderson recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points and ten rebounds in just 17 minutes of action, as the Captains upped their home mark to 10-2 this season.

"The most important thing for us tonight was to get back to playing CNU basketball," Head Coach John Krikorian said following the game. "That includes defending, rebounding, sharing the ball, being tough, and fighting through adversity. Those were things we did not do on Thursday against UC Santa Cruz, but we did them today. I was pleased with our bounce back effort, as well as our toughness against what I thought was a very tough and athletic team."

CNU and Pfeiffer went back-and-forth through the first half, with the lead exchanging hands seven times. The Captains held a 34-30 advantage at the break, and then opened the second half with a 12-4 run to go up by a dozen, 46-34. The Falcons, though, would prove to be tough to put away. Pfeiffer battled back and cut the lead as close as five, 66-61, in the final minute before two free throws by the Captains provided the seven-point final verdict.

Sophomore Doug Smith led the Falcons by contributing a triple-double. Smith scored 14 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and blocked 12 shots for Pfeiffer. Junior Daymon Beckwith added 12 points, with six coming on two three-pointers, as the Falcons knocked down seven threes in the game on 14 attempts.

CNU's defense held Pfeiffer to 36 percent shooting for the night (21 of 59), and forced 22 Falcons turnovers. The Captains out-rebounded the Falcons, 51-47, including a 29-21 edge on the boards in the second half. A total of 25 blocked shots were recorded in the battle, 14 by the Falcons and 11 by the Captains, with Smith and Ward combining for 18 of them.

The game was just the third all-time between the programs and the first since 1991. The Falcons won the first two meetings in the all-time series in 1990 and 1991 over the Captains at Ratcliffe Gymnasium.

Christopher Newport will next host Salisbury University on Saturday at the Freeman Center. It will be Senior Day as the Captains honor their seniors in a ceremony before tip off, which is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.