NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University held off the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Tuesday night to improve to 11-3 on the season. The Captains had four players score in double figures in the 68-59 victory at the Freeman Center on the second day of the Captains Shootout. The triumph was the tenth in the last 11 games for CNU, as the Captains improved to 6-1 at the Freeman Center this season. RIT fell to 3-5 with the loss.

Junior Collin Hines led the way for CNU, scoring 17 points, and also filled the stat sheet with nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a blocked shot. Junior Tyson Henderson tallied 15 points one day after recording a new career high of 29 in CNU's victory over Hood College on Monday on the first day of the tourney. Junior Ethan Ward posted 12 points and junior Ryan Derderian came off the bench and registered career highs with 12 points and 16 rebounds as the Captains won the first-ever meeting of the schools.

The game marked the first time Head Coach John Krikorian coached against one of his former assistant coaches. Dom Parker, who had two stints on the CNU staff, is in his second season leading RIT, and his former boss had plenty of praise for him following the game.

"Dom had his team well prepared and ready to play," Krikorian said. "They came out in the first half more energized than we were, and they executed well. We had to make some adjustments in the second half just to keep things moving and get into transition tempo for us, and we were able to do that and get the win. I tip my hat to Coach Parker, I thought he did a great job with his team and they were well prepared." 

The game opened with a back-and-forth first half that produced eight lead changes, and the Captains and Tigers were tied at eight different junctures. Christopher Newport was able to push its lead to as many as seven twice, 20-13 with 11:16 to play, and 40-33 on a three-pointer from freshman Tyler Sprague with just six seconds remaining. RIT's Muhsin Muhammad, however, cut the lead to four at the break when he banked home a half-court shot on the buzzer, and the Captains held a 40-36 intermission advantage. Sprague's three was the only triple of the night for the Captains, who were one of 12 from long range just one day after sinking 16 three-pointers in the victory over Hood on Monday. Muhammad led the RIT squad with 18 points on the night. 

CNU did not relinquish the lead in the second half, and the Captains used a 14-2 run to turn a two-point lead into a 14-point advantage, 62-48, with 5:38 to play. The Tigers rallied down the stretch and got as close as five in the final two and a half minutes, but CNU was able to hold steady and a layup by Hines with 23 seconds remaining sealed the nine-point triumph.

"Collin was just terrific tonight," Krikorian continued. "He's our only senior, and it's great to see him take control like he did on a night when we weren't shooting that well. We really needed him and Ryan Derderian as well. When Ryan goes after the ball with two hands and plays with that kind of aggressiveness inside, he can obviously be a very impactful player. It was great to see them both contribute so much tonight."

Christopher Newport shot 42 percent for the game (27 of 64), while RIT made 24 of 60 shots (40 percent). The Captains out-rebounded the Tigers, 49-33, and held a 15-7 edge on the offensive glass.

The All-Tournament squad for the Captains Shootout included Tyson Henderson of CNU for his 44-point effort in the two CNU victories. The all-classic team also consisted of Zac Ditzel of RIT, Cooper Wiley of Johnson & Wales Charlotte, and Jevon Yarbrough of Hood. In the opening game on Tuesday, Hood College defeated Johnson & Wales Charlotte by a score of 101-72. 

The Captains will open 2026 on Friday in Galloway, N.J., playing Rowan University in the Stockton Classic. Tip off time is set for 5:00 p.m. CNU will then take on the host school, Stockton University, on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Heading into the two-day classic in the Garden State, Rowan has a 2-8 record while Stockton is 5-5.