Senior Marcus Carter returned to the Christopher Newport lineup Sunday, and posted a double-double as the Captains defeated the Wolverines of Wesley College, 83-69, at the Freeman Center. Carter, who injured his ankle in the season opener at Randolph-Macon and missed six games, tallied 22 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes of playing time, as the Captains improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the Capital Athletic Conference.

CNU built a 24-point lead in the opening half, and held a 42-22 advantage at halftime. Wesley, now 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the CAC, battled from behind and cut the lead as close as six points at three different points of the second half. Sophomore Brian Cameron led all scorers, finishing with 34 points for Wesley, with 23 coming after the intermission.

"I didn't know what to expect from Marcus today in all honesty," Head Coach John Krikorian said. "He really had only practiced twice and obviously made a huge impact for us. Marcus is the kind of player who can take over a game, and he hit some big shots for us when Wesley was on a run." Carter made eight of 13 shots, including six of eight in the second half. He was four of six from three-point range, with three triples coming in the second stanza.

Wesley cut the lead to six points after halftime; 55-49, 63-57, and 69-63. Each time, CNU was able to re-claim the momentum and stretch the advantage. Christopher Newport senior Aaron McFarlandposted 17 points and made eight of nine foul shots, including seven of eight in the second half helping the Captains pull away. Sophomore Nick Parks recorded a career-high 13 points. Senior Spencer Marin also added nine points and nine rebounds.

The Captains out-rebounded the Wolverines, 50-37, and have now out-rebounded all eight of their opponents this season. CNU shot 44 percent for the game (26 of 59), and connected for 12 triples on 28 attempts, Wesley was just 23 of 71 for the game (32 percent), and the Wolverines were eight of 22 (36 percent) from behind the arc.

CNU now leads the all-time series with Wesley, 17-4, and the Captains have won nine straight over the Wolverines. The schools will meet again in Dover, Delaware, on January 27th. Sunday's victory in front of 448 fans was the 900th in the 51-year history of the Christopher Newport men's basketball program. CNU now has an all-time record of 900-443 for a winning percentage of 67 percent.

CNU now has an eight-day break over final exams, and the Captains return to action on Monday, December 18th, when they travel to Virginia Beach to take on Virginia Wesleyan University. Tipoff time is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Batten Center.