BALTIMORE, Md. — Christopher Newport University began a stretch of four straight road contests Wednesday night, recording an 85-66 victory at Johns Hopkins University. The win was CNU’s fifth straight, and ninth in the last ten games for the 12th-ranked Captains.
Sophomore Jason Ofcarcik came off the bench to lead the way with his first double-double as a Captain. Ofcarcik scored a career-high 21 points and also topped the squad with 11 rebounds as John Krikorian‘s squad improved to 14-3 on the season. Sophomore Toa Hollenbeck (18) and fifth-year senior Jahn Hines (13) also reached double figures in scoring as the Captains won their first road game of 2025.
“I’m especially proud of our guys tonight because we beat a good program on the road,” Krikorian said. “Every time they made a run, we stood firm and made some stops on defense. I thought we worked particularly hard in the paint against a very physical team, and Jason Ofcarcik and Ethan Ward both made their presence known by scoring, rebounding, and defending in the lane.”
Christopher Newport trailed in the early-going, 6-3, before reeling off 14 straight points, and didn’t trail again the rest of the way. The Captains went up by as many as 16 in the opening half, 26-10, and held a 37-28 advantage at the intermission. Johns Hopkins, now 5-6, cut the lead as close as four in the second half, 40-36, only to see CNU respond with 11 straight points to regain momentum. The 19-point final verdict was the largest of the game.
The Captains made 29-of-56 shots for 52 percent shooting, and also drained 7-of-12 (58 percent) from three-point range. CNU’s defense held Hopkins to 38 percent shooting (24-of-63), and the Blue Jays knocked down just 5-of-18 (28 percent) from long range for the night.
“Our perimeter defense was outstanding most of the night,” Krikorian said. “After they made their run to cut it to four in the second half, we really responded and defended them well down the stretch. They’re a dangerous group with really good size and good shooters, and I thought we did well to prevent any kind of extended run.”
Ofcarcik, a sophomore transfer from Nichols College, had his best game as a Captain by scoring seven points in the first half, and adding 14 more in the second stanza. Ofcarcik made 9-of-12 shots and also recorded two steals. Hollenbeck, who injured his back in the opening half, returned after halftime to score ten of his 18 points.
“We thought Toa might be done for the night, but he somehow found a way,” Krikorian continued. “That’s the kind of competitor he is and that was a gutsy and much-needed performance.”
Christopher Newport has now won five of six games in the all-time series with Johns Hopkins. The Captains continue their road stretch next Wednesday, January 15th, at 18th-ranked Randolph-Macon College. Tip off time is set for 7:00 p.m.
