FORT WAYNE, Ind.- The Christopher Newport men's basketball team is going where no squad in program history has gone before.
Norview product Jahn Hines scored 22 points, leading the Captains to a thrilling 69-66 win over Swarthmore in the Final Four on Thursday evening. The CNU victory avenges a 2019 national semifinal loss to Garnet and punches its ticket to the national championship for the first time ever.
After a close first half, Christopher Newport went into the locker room trailing 30-26 at halftime, but the Captains had plenty left in the tank. Ty Henderson's three-pointer gave them a 37-34 lead with 16:36 to play and they would not trail for the remainder of the game. Trey Barber's layup with 4:29 left in the game swelled the CNU advantage to nine points at 60-51.
Swarthmore had one more run left in it, tying the game back up at 64-64 with 1:46 to play. The Captains would go cold, not making a field goal for the final 3:38 of the game, but were able to clamp down on defense and hold off the Garnet. Free throws would give them a 69-66 lead and Vinny DeAngelo's three-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, sealing the Christopher Newport victory.
The win improved John Krikorian's team to 29-3 and marks its 14th in a row.
In addition to his 22 points, Hines led the Captains with eight rebounds as well. Barber chipped in 21 points and seven boards.
Christopher Newport was out-rebounded, 39-27, but shot 53 percent from the floor in the second half. The Captains committed just four turnovers throughout the game while forcing Swarthmore into 13 giveaways. CNU was able to grab the win in a close game despite shooting just 15-of-24 from the free throw line.
Next up, the first national championship game in program history. Christopher Newport will face Mount Union on Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the Captains and Purple Raiders. Tipoff in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is set for 4:00 PM.
