NEWPORT NEWS — Christopher Newport University will host men’s basketball NCAA Tournament action this Friday and Saturday at the Freeman Center. The Captains, 22-5, will play John Jay College of Criminal Justice on Friday at 6:30 p.m., following the opening game of the regional that pits Pfeiffer University against Roanoke College at 4:00 p.m.
The winners of Friday’s games will meet on Saturday in the regional championship at 6:30 p.m. at the Freeman Center.
This marks the ninth straight NCAA berth for the Captains, who were beaten by Mary Washington in the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference title game on Saturday in Salisbury, Md., 71-66. The defeat snapped an eight-game winning streak for CNU, and ended a three-year run as conference champions for the Captains CNU received an at-large bid to the tournament.
John Jay, located in New York City, won the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) title this year and the Bloodhounds have a record of 19-8. Friday’s game will be CNU’s first meeting ever with John Jay in men’s basketball.
Roanoke will be making its first NCAA appearance since 2001, when the Captains defeated the Maroons at the Freeman Center. Roanoke is 23-5 and a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The Maroons received an at-large bid to the tourney. Pfeiffer University has a record of 18-7 and won the championship of the USA South Athletic Conference. It will mark the first NCAA action ever for the Falcons in men’s basketball.
Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday at 12 noon at the Freeman Center Ticket Office. Chairback seats will be $15.00 and general admission tickets will be sold for $10.00.
Christopher Newport will be making its 28th appearance in NCAA play in the 57th season of CNU men’s basketball. The Captains last hosted NCAA play two years ago during their run to a National Championship, beating both Mary Hardin-Baylor and Wheaton in the sectional round at the Freeman Center to advance to the national semifinals in Fort Wayne, Indiana. John Krikorian‘s team went on to defeat Swarthmore and Mount Union to capture the first NCAA title in program history.
Last season, Christopher Newport advanced to the round of eight before falling at Guilford College, snapping a streak of nine straight NCAA Tournament victories. The Captains have an all-time record of 36-26 in NCAA Tournament play, and a mark of 12-3 in tournament games played at the Freeman Center. Krikorian has compiled an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 26-8, and will be leading the Captains to the NCAA’s for the 11th time in 14 years at the helm.
