NEWPORT NEWS, Va.- Christopher Newport junior Tim Daly scored 14 of his 15 points in the second half Wednesday night, as the fifth-ranked Captains defeated St. Mary's College of Maryland at the Freeman Center, 69-53. CNU is now 23-1 overall, 17-0 atop the Capital Athletic Conference, and riding a 14-game winning streak. The Captains conclude the regular season on Saturday at home against Marymount.

CNU opened an 11-point lead at halftime, 39-28, following a back-and-forth first half. In the second half, the Captains opened the lead to as many as 22 points, 67-45, en route to the 16-point triumph..

"That was a tough battle," Head Coach John Krikorian said following the victory. "We knew we were in for a physical game and I thought we battled hard. St. Mary's is a much better team than their record shows, and they gave us a good fight."

Daly's second-half performance was a big difference. After only playing six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, the junior from Richmond went to work in the second stanza, making six of nine shots and pulling down all five of his rebounds. Daly also dished out a team-high four assists.

Junior guard Kevin Regimbal added 13 points and sophomore Marcus Carter, the Player of the Week in the CAC this week, added 12.

The Captains defense held St. Mary's to just 39.6 percent shooting for the night, and forced 17 turnovers. CNU struggled from beyond the arc, making just four of 21 shots from three-point range. Christopher Newport out-rebounded St. Mary's, 37-36, with sophomore Brendon Burrows leading the way with six boards.

"I think we've been able to keep our focus," Krikorian continued. "You have to guard against complacency and keep looking at the next game. I think we've done a good job of that."

St. Mary's, now 12-12 overall and 8-9 in league play, was led by sophomore guard Delaszo Smith's 13 points, all in the second half.

The victory was the second this season over the Seahawks, and CNU now holds a 10-9 lead in the all-time series.

The Captains, who are the top team in the Mid-Atlantic region for the second straight week, wrapped up the Capital Athletic Conference regular-seaon title on February 3rd, and will be the top seed in next week's CAC Tournament. CNU will host a semi-final game next Thursday night, February 25th, at the Freeman Center.

CNU is now 11-1 at home this season, and won all 12 games played on the road. Saturday's regular-season finale against Marymount will tip off at 4:00 p.m. and will feature Senior Day ceremonies before the start. CNU's three seniors; Connor Laframboise, Ben Watkins, and Hunter Wetherell, will be recognized for their contributions to the CNU program prior to the tip.

The CNU men's and women's basketball squads have a combined record of 43-3 heading into Saturday's twin bill with the Saints. The women's squad is 22-2 and riding a 17-game winning streak following a 58-55 victory over St. Mary's. The CNU teams are challenging the greatest combined season record ever in Captains history, the 1997-1998 season, when the two squads combined for a 50-6 overall mark.