When Christopher Newport and Salisbury tangle on the hardwood, you can usually expect an exciting finish. Saturday proved to be no exception.

The intense rivalry was renewed at the Freeman Center as the Captains and Sea Gulls, the top two seeds, tangled in the Capital Athletic Conference's championship game. The Sea Gulls had the Captains on the ropes, leading the entire second half and then opening a 61-52 lead with 3:07 to play. What followed down the stretch is the newest chapter in the amazing string of battles that have made the series so special.

CNU erupted and ended the game with an 11-1 run, and senior Tim Daly pulled it out for the Captains, sinking a 19-footer with less than two seconds remaining to give the Captains the 63-62 triumph and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The remarkable comeback marked the 26th straight victory at home for the Captains, who captured their second-straight CAC crown.

"I'm still in shock," Head Coach John Krikorian said. "These guys just don't stop. They find a way. It looked like we were dead, and then we just found a way."

The Captains, now 25-2 and riding a 19-game winning streak, will advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 21st time in the 50-year history of the program. Salisbury is now 20-7 and will await the release of the NCAA bracket on Monday.

The title game started as a seesaw battle, with the teams exchanging the lead ten times in the first half. The Sea Gulls went up by a 27-25 score with 1:54 to go in the opening half and stretched the lead to five at the intermission, 30-25. Salisbury held the advantage through the entire second half, extending the edge to as many as 11, 52-41, with 11:46 to play. Salisbury senior Wyatt Smith, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, sank two free throws with 3:07 to play to give the Gulls a 61-52 lead. 

Christopher Newport needed a dramatic comeback, and the Captains didn't disappoint the crowd of 1,593. CNU chipped way thanks mostly to the play of junior Marcus Carter, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the second stanza, and senior Rayshard Brown, who recorded all six of his points after halftime.

Carter tool charge scoring seven straight points for the Captains in a two-minute span to cut the lead to three, 62-59. Then, after Brown knocked down two free throws to make it a 62-61 game, Carter stepped to the forefront and made a huge steal off an inbounds pass to give the Captains the ball back. Although Carter would miss a potential go-ahead shot, junior Aaron McFarland grabbed the offensive rebound and called for a timeout with 13 seconds to play.

The Captains then sent the ball in for the final possession, and after a near turnover and tie-up, senior Kevin Regimbal managed to pass the ball to an open Daly for what proved to be the game-winning shot from just inside the arc.

"That's probably the longest shot I've taken this year," Daly said as the Captains celebrated. "I give all the credit to my teammates. Kev got me the ball, and it went down. This is an amazing group of guys, and we never stopped working. I give a lot of credit to Salisbury, they're a great team. That's what makes this win even more special."

Daly ended up with a team-high 19 points, with 13 coming in the first half. He also posted a team-high eight rebounds.

The Captains shot just 39 percent for the day (22 of 56) and were out-rebounded by the Sea Gulls, 38-37.

"Both of these teams have a lot of seniors," Krikorian continued. "They all know each other and have been competing against each other for four years. There's just something about these games that brings out amazing memories. I hope Salisbury gets in the NCAA Tournament, they certainly deserve to be there."

CNU and Salisbury have now gone to the wire in their last five meetings, with each being decided by one or two points. Two of the games, including last year's conference championship, went to overtime. The last five games between the rivals have been decided by a grand total of seven points.

Christopher Newport, a final four team a year ago, will take a 19-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament. The Captains will likely open NCAA play next Friday night. The NCAA bracket will be released Monday at 12:30 p.m.