NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University broke open a close game in the second half Friday night, and held off Stevens Institute of Technology, 75-62, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament at the Freeman Center. Junior Toa Hollenbeck led the way by scoring 21 points as the Captains improved to 22-5 on the season.

The Captains will play the Presidents of Washington & Jefferson College Saturday in the second round of the tournament. Tip off time is set for 5:45 p.m. at the Freeman Center. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking HERE. Fans can also purchase tickets in person when the ticket office opens at 4:45 p.m. Saturday.

Christopher Newport led by three at halftime, 33-30, but fell behind briefly early in the second half, 44-42, with 15:48 to play. The Captains then proceeded to out-score the Ducks, 32-16, to open a 15-point lead en route to the 13-point victory. 

Juniors Tyson Henderson (14), Zyir Baskerville (10), and senior Collin Hines (10) also reached double figures for CNU in scoring. Junior Ethan Ward pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds, and Hines and junior Jason Ofcarcik each logged eight boards as CNU out-rebounded Stevens for the night, 49-34. The Captains blocked nine shots in the victory, with Ofcarcik leading the way with three rejections.

"We're just so grateful to still be playing," Head Coach John Krikorian said following the victory. "All the credit in the world to Stevens, we knew they were going to pose a lot of challenges for our defense, and they did. Our guys had to give it everything they had chasing those guys around. I think we rose to the challenge and when we had opportunities, our guys took advantage and did good things." 

Stevens' junior Harmehar Chhabra posted a triple double in the loss, scoring 12 points, pulling down 11 rebounds, and posting 11 assists. He also blocked four shots as the Ducks season came to an end with an 18-10 final record. Junior Tommy Scholl led Stevens in scoring with 21 points. 

The game was the first-ever of the programs, and now the Captains will meet Washington & Jefferson for the first time ever on the hardwood Saturday. The Presidents are 23-6 and advanced by ousting the University of Mount Union in Friday's first game, 82-77.   

"This was everything you'd expect in an NCAA game, neither team wanted to go home," Krikorian continued. "I'm really proud of how we handled the challenge and now we will enjoy it for a little bit before we jump into preparing for W&J. I know they're a well-coached team and have a lot of talent, so we're expecting another tough challenge."

Christopher Newport's victory Friday was the 38th in NCAA play all-time, against 27 losses. This is CNU's tenth straight NCAA Tournament, the longest-running streak in the nation,and the Captains won the National Championship in the 2022-2023 season. The victory improved the Captains record at home this season to 13-1.