NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport out-scored Penn State-Harrisburg Wednesday night, 16-2, over the final four minutes and twenty seconds to emerge from the Freeman Center with a 73-63 triumph over the Lions. Senior Marcus Carter scored all 17 of his points in the second half as CNU improved to 10-2 overall and 4-1 in the Capital Athletic Conference. The victory was the sixth straight for the Captains.

Penn State-Harrisburg led at the half, 34-28, and had gone up by as many as nine early in the second half. The Lions fell to 5-7 overall and 1-4 in the CAC.

"We stepped up when we had to," Head Coach John Krikorian said. "Their size really made it difficult for us tonight, but I think our experience showed down the stretch. We had three guys take over, all three seniors, and they were the big difference."

The senior trio of Carter, Aaron McFarland, and Spencer Marin accounted for 39 of CNU's 45 points in the second stanza, as the Captains out-scored the Lions, 45-29, after halftime. Carter added eight rebounds to go with his 17 points, and made seven of 12 shots. McFarland topped the squad for the second straight game with nine rbeounds in addition to 15 points. Marin, who played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble, still managed to score 16 points and pull down eight rebounds.

Christopher Newport enjoyed a ten-point lead in the first half before the Lions surged ahead with a 27-11 run over the final 11 minutes before the intermission. The Captains then registered a 13-4 run over the first 3:39 of the second half to take the lead, 41-38. Penn State-Harrisburg bounced back thanks in part to the efforts of junior Kahlil Williams, who posted eight points in the second half. Williams and sophomore Chris Bing each recorded 14 points for the night.

With 4:20 to play, the Lions held a 61-57 advantage, and the Captains began their 16-2 flurry to the finish. The run was capped by a Carter dunk with 16 seconds to play accounting for the 73-63 final verdict.

After shooting just 28 percent from the field in the opening half (10 of 36), the Captains knocked down 20 of 36 shots in the second half for 56 percent. CNU ended the game 30 of 72 for 42 percent. PSU-Harrisburg edged the Captains on the boards, 47-46, and the Captains held the Lions to just 34 percent shooting for the game (21 of 61). 

The victory was the eighth straight for the Captains over the Lions, and CNU now holds an 8-1 edge in the all-time series. The game, originally scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start, was moved up to 6:00 p.m. due to an impending snowstorm in the Hampton Roads area.

The Captains remain one game behind York in the CAC following Wednesday night's action. York improved to 12-0 overall and 5-0 in the CAC with an 84-81 victory at Salisbury. CNU now hits the road for its next three games, beginning Saturday at Marymount University in Arlington. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m.