ELITE 8! Christopher Newport Tops Keene State, 74-62, to Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
Christopher Newport out-scored Keene State 22-10 over the final eight minutes Friday night, and advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament with a 74-62 victory. The win was the 20th straight for CNU, and improved the Captains to 29-1 on the season.
CNU will play Wooster in Saturday's Elite 8 battle. Tipoff time is set for 7:00 p.m. at Max Ziel Gymnasium. Wooster advanced with a thrilling 66-65 victory over host Oswego State in Friday's other Sweet 16 battle.
The trip to the Elite 8 marks the seventh time in CAC history that a men's basketball team advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, and the third time in the last four years. It is also the second time in the 49-year history of CNU basketball that the Captains reached the quarterfinal round.
Sophomore Marcus Carter, the CAC Player of the Year, led the way for the Captains, posting his third straight double-double in the NCAA Tournament with 22 points and 12 rebounds. It was his eighth double-double of the season.
The Captains broke a 25-25 tie late in the first half and finished the half on an 8-2 run to lead 33-27 at the intermission. The Captains, ranked fourth in the nation, did not trail again after being down 24-22 in the first half.
CNU then opened an 11-point edge, 43-32, only to see the Owls come from behind. Keene State went on a 20-9 run to pull even at 52-52, but never grabbed the lead back from the Captains.
Christopher Newport then held off Keene State down the stretch thanks to the late 22-10 run, and put the finishing touches on the 12-point triumph.
Junior Tim Daly added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Captains, and sophomore Aaron McFarland (12) and junior Justin Hampton (11) also were in double figures.
Friday night's Sweet 16 showdown was the first game away from the Freeman Center for CNU since February 13th, when the Captains won at York. CNU is now 13-0 this season away from the Freeman Center, where they were 16-1 this year.
The only other appearance in the Elite 8 for CNU came in 2001, the first year of the Freeman Center, when the Captains defeated St. John's (MN) to advance to the Elite 8. C.J. Woollum's squad then lost to William Paterson (NJ) in overtime, 86-75, to end the season 25-4.