Live Video  //  CNU Radio Broadcast  //  Live Stats  //  CNU Game Notes  //  Tournament Central

SANTA CRUZ, Ca. - Christopher Newport University takes on the Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz Friday night in the semifinal round of the 2026 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. Friday's game will tip off at 9:00 p.m. (ET) at West Field House on the UC Santa Cruz campus.

John Krikorian's squad made the cross-country trek on Wednesday. The Captains enter the post-season with a record of 20-4 and are ranked tenth in the country, and CNU is the second seed in the five-team tournament. The Slugs, meanwhile, are 14-10 heading into Friday's game, and UCSC is the third seed. 

Christopher Newport concluded the regular season last Saturday with a 79-47 victory over Salisbury University at the Freeman Center. Senior Collin Hines led the way on Senior Night by registering 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. It marks the 11th straight season the Captains have reached the 20-win plateau. Hines also logged six assists and two blocked shots, and was joined in double figures by Ward (18 points), junior Zyir Baskerville (14 points), and junior Toa Hollenbeck (10 points).

UC Santa Cruz ended the regular season at home on Tuesday with a loss to seventh-ranked and top-seeded Mary Washington, 76-52. This will be the 11th meeting of the Captains and Banana Slugs, and Christopher Newport has a 9-1 advantage in the all-time series. The teams played at the Freeman Center on January 29th, with the Captains recording a 71-64 victory behind Toa Hollenbeck's 21-point effort.

Friday's game will be the first ever at West Field House on the UCSC campus. CNU has beaten the Slugs in all three previous contests played at KP Arena, which is where the C2C Championship game will be played on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

For CNU fans attending the game Friday in Santa Cruz, you are advised to arrive early, an hour ahead of tip time (5:00 p.m. Pacific time) and you will be directed to the CNU seating area.  Fans are also advised to park in a lot nearby, and utilize the ParkMobile spaces in that lot. Directions to the lot can be found by clicking HERE. Entry is free into the West Field House, no tickets will be needed for admission. 

The Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament got underway Thursday, as fourth-seeded Salisbury defeated fifth-seeded Warren Wilson, 83-72, in the quarterfinal round. Salisbury advances to play top-seeded Mary Washington Friday at 6:00 p.m. (ET) in the game prior to CNU vs. UCSC at West Field House. 

Christopher Newport games are broadcast live on the Home of the Captains, Xtra 99.1 FM and CNUsports.com. The pre-game show Saturday will begin at 8:40 p.m.(ET). A link is provided at the top of this story to access the live CNU broadcast. Links are also provided at the top of this story access the live video produced by UCSC, to follow the live stats, as well as to the Tournament Central page and the complete CNU game notes package.

Following the completion of the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, the Captains will await word on the 2026 NCAA Division III Championship. The bracket, with opponents, locations, and game times, will be released on Monday at 1:00 p.m. (ET) by the NCAA. Christopher Newport has appeared in nine straight NCAA Tournaments, the longest consecutive tournament streak in the nation at the present time.