ASHLAND, Va. - Christopher Newport University surged to a 14-point halftime lead Friday night, and then held off the fourth-ranked Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College, 59-57, at a jam-packed Crenshaw Gymnasium. The victory in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament improved the Captains record to 24-5 and John Krikorian's team will now advance to the Elite Eight of the 64-team tourney. CNU will play the third-ranked Celts of the University of St. Thomas (Texas) on Thursday in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Captains, ranked 15th in the country, were led by junior big man Ethan Ward, who scored 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Junior Toa Hollenbeck (13) and senior Collin Hines (12) also reached double figures in scoring as the Captains ended the Yellow Jackets season with a 27-4 record and handed R-MC its first home loss of the season after 15 consecutive victories.

"That was a great game and obviously Randolph-Macon is a terrific team, I really believe they were the best team in the country," Krikorian said following the hard-fought triumph. "Their three losses had pretty much all been at the buzzer, and I thought we would need a monumental effort to get out of here tonight with a win. Our effort was exactly that, and I couldn't be more proud of this team."

The epic battle saw the Captains lead the entire first half, building the advantage to 14 at the intermission, 35-21, after knocking down 14 of 29 shots in the first 20 minutes.

"We were locked in from the start of the first half, and really aggressive," Krikorian continued. "We didn't settle for three-pointers, and they didn't want to give those to us, so we kept going to the basket. We shot 50 percent for the game (23 of 46) and even though they were all two-pointers, you've got to put the ball in the basket any way you can, and that's what presented itself, especially with their zone defense."

R-MC stormed back early in the second half, using a 19-4 run over the first seven and a half minutes to finally pull ahead, 40-39, with 12:31 to play. The Captains jumped back in front just 23 seconds later on a three-point play by Hollenbeck, giving CNU the lead back, 42-40. The Yellow Jackets stayed close and took a two-point lead, 54-52, with just 4:17 to go, but the small advantage would prove to be the biggest of the game for the home team. The Captains again battled back to out-score Randolph-Macon down the stretch, 7-3, and a last-second shot to tie the game was well-defended and off the mark leading to a CNU celebration.

"I don't think it's too much to say that this was the best atmosphere at a game I've ever coached in," Krikorian concluded. "To have a gym that's standing room only, and half the crowd is supporting your team on the road, that was just awesome. I'm so grateful for everyone who made the trip, and I'm sure they're glad they did. We're so appreciative of all those who were here, it made all the difference in the world."

The crowd of 1,204 saw the Captains out-rebound the Yellow Jackets, 36-25, and also saw CNU play its first game of the year without making at least one three-point shot. The Captains were 0-for-8 from long range, while R-MC made just 1-of-13 from beyond the arc.

The Captains will now advance to the Elite Eight for the third time in the last four seasons. CNU will be making its third trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for NCAA play, and the first since winning the National Championship in 2023.

The Captains now have an all-time record of 40-27 in NCAA Tournament games, and Christopher Newport is 22-4 in its last 26 tourney games dating back to the 2018-19 season.

Thursday's National Quarterfinal game will be the first-ever meeting of the Captains and Celts. Tip off time is still to be announced and will be posted on CNUsports.com when available. The Elite Eight as well as National Semifinals will take place at Fort Wayne War Memorial Coliseum on Thursday and Saturday.