NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Senior Collin Hines enjoyed Senior Night Saturday at the Freeman Center, leading the tenth-ranked Captains of Christopher Newport University to a 79-47 victory over Salisbury University. Hines registered a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, and junior Ethan Ward scored 18 points, to lead CNU to its 20th victory of the season.

The Captains never trailed in the game, and used a 29-7 first half run to open a 40-15 lead at halftime. CNU then out-scored the Sea Gulls in the second half, 39-32, to coast to the 32-point triumph. John Krikorian's squad is now 20-4, marking the 11th straight season the Captains have reached the 20-win plateau.

"When you have an environment like we had tonight, I think our guys really felt a great energy," Krikorian said following the victory. "We came to play, and like we did at Salisbury ten days ago, we got out to an early lead and that was really deflating for them. It started with our defense, which was really smothering, and our guys were really connected. Ethan Ward really put us on his back, and when he gets going like he did, it makes a big difference."

Hines, who was honored prior to tip off along with three senior student managers (Ana Roldan, Allyson Re'alis, and Justice Thompson), also logged six assists and two blocked shots. The Norfolk native was joined in double figures by Ward (18 points), junior Zyir Baskerville (14 points), and junior Toa Hollenbeck (10 points).

"I can't say enough about Collin," Krikorian continued. "His versatility and his ability to stuff the stat sheet is just awesome. He's been a great leader, terrific rebounder, and outstanding defensive player his entire career."

The Captains, who improved to 12-1 at the Freeman Center this season, made 34-of-67 shots (51 percent) for the night, and held the Sea Gulls to just 25 percent shooting for the game (19-of-76). CNU also held a 58-40 edge in the rebounding column over Salisbury, as the Gulls fell to 10-14 with their seventh straight loss. The Captains now hold a 41-16 lead in the all-time series with Salisbury, and defeated the Gulls ten days ago in Maryland by a 77-49 final score.

Along with Senior Night ceremonies, Christopher Newport also held a pre-game ceremony Saturday to officially retire the uniform #3 in honor of CNU great Marcus Carter, a four-time All-American and fifth all-time leading scorer in CNU history. Carter's number along with Jahn Hines' #22, which was retired last year on Senior Night, were both unveiled in the Freeman Center rafters prior to the regular season finale. 

The Captains will now prepare for the 2026 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament in Santa Cruz, Ca. CNU will play the host school, UC Santa Cruz, Friday night in the semifinals, with game time set for 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. A victory over the Banana Slugs would move the Captains into the C2C Championship game next Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.

"It's conference tournament time, and there's an automatic bid on the line," Krikorian concluded. "We're looking forward to the trip and the guys are excited. It's not often you get an opportunity to travel and play meaningful games, and we intend to make the most of it."