North Tidewater News

Captains Tie School Record With 18 Three-Pointers in Decisive Victory over College of New Jersey, 89-44

Christopher Newport University knocked down 18 three-pointers Wednesday night and recorded a decisive 89-44 victory over the College of New Jersey. The Captains, ranked seventh in the country, improved to 11-2 as they matched a school record for threes in a game, and won for the second straight night in the Jay Bilas Classic at Curry Arena at Queens University of Charlotte.

Fifth-year senior Matthew Brodie led the way, matching his career high with 20 points, and connecting on seven of ten shots, including four-of-seven from long range. Brodie also dished out six assists and pulled down five rebounds in just 21 minutes of playing time. Sophomore Ty Henderson tallied 18 points in 19 minutes, and made six-of-seven shots, all from beyond the arc.

"I think this was our most complete game of the season, from start to finish," Head Coach John Krikorian said following the 45-point victory. "We really came out with a lot of energy and carried it over the course of the night. Again, we're not there yet, we're a work in progress, but this was a big step in the right direction."

Junior Jahn Hines also reached double figures, scoring 11 points and contributing nine rebounds. Senior Jake Latta joined Hines with a team-high nine boards, as the Captains out-rebounded the Lions, 46-19, for the night, sending TCNJ to its sixth straight loss.

Christopher Newport fell behind in the opening minute of the game, 2-0, and never trailed again, building the lead to 48-19 at the intermission. The Captains then stretched the margin to as many as 53 in the second half, 86-33, and cruised to the victory. CNU made 31-of-63 shots (49 percent), and 18-of-36 (50 percent) from three-point land. Defensively, the Captains held TCNJ to just 35 percent shooting (17-of-48) and allowed just one offensive rebounds by the Lions all night.

The Captains drained 11 three-pointers in the first half and added seven more in the second stanza. The 18 triples ties the program's all-time single game record,  but it's the first time the Captains have hit 18 in a game away from the Freeman Center. The record was previously set on January 3, 2015, vs. York College of Pennsylvania and on February 19, 2019, vs. Southern Virginia with both of those contests played at the Freeman Center.

Henderson led the three-point barrage with six, followed by Brodie with four. Hines knocked down three while junior Jamaal Madison added two. Senior Rodney Graves, freshman Collin Hines, and freshman Scott Mullin all sank one, with Mullin's triple late in the second half matching the school mark. All 15 active CNU players saw time in the victory, with a dozen reaching the scoring column.

TCNJ, now 2-8, was led by senior Jim Clemente's 15 points off the bench. The game with the Lions was just the second all-time, and the Captains have won both in the short series. The first meeting came last season on January 17th at the Freeman Center, an 89-52 Christopher Newport triumph.

Elmhurst defeated Lynchburg in the first game of the night, 87-73. The two-day classic concluded with the Captains going 2-0, Elmhurst 1-1, Lynchburg 1-1, and TCNJ 0-2.

Christopher Newport now has an eight-day break for the holidays, and the Captains will return to action on Thursday, December 29th, hosting Cabrini in the Captains Shootout. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m. at the Freeman Center. The opening game of the Shootout will begin at 3:00 p.m. as Averett takes on Wilmington (OH). 

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