NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Christopher Newport University out-scored Brandeis University Monday night in the second half, 48-38, to propel the Captains to a 79-73 victory. The win to open 2023 at the Freeman Center improved the seventh-ranked Captains record to 14-2 on the season.

"We were expecting a great battle, and that's what we got," Head Coach John Krikorian said following the win. "Brandeis is a really solid program and we had to work hard for everything we got tonight. We had some guys really step up in the second half, and we made our foul shots, and that was the difference."

Junior Jahn Hines led the way with 25 points, and senior Rodney Graves added 23. Graves, who started in place of injured senior Ian Anderson, connected on seven-of-11 shots and made five-of-six free throws in the second half. Hines nailed nine-of-16 shots from the field and knocked down all seven of his shots from the charity stripe for the night to help put the game away. In all, the Captains made 30 of 40 attempts at the line. Sophomore Ty Henderson also reached double digits with 16 points, and sank all four of his free throws in the second half.

Brandeis, now 8-3, held a seven-point lead in the opening half  and a 35-31 edge at the intermission before Krikorian's squad rallied after halftime. CNU used a 14-0 run over a seven-minute period midway through the second half to go from being down, 48-46, to holding a 60-48 lead.The Judges would not go quietly, rallying and cutting the lead as close as three down the stretch, 72-69. The Judges were led by Ethan Edwards' 23 points off the bench. Edwards made 11-of-12 free throws in the first meeting ever of the two programs.

The Captains made 13-of-25 shots in the second half and finished the game 22-of-45 (49 percent) from the field. CNU's defense tightened after the half, holding Brandeis to 12-of-31 shooting (39 percent) in the second stanza. The Captains also held Brandeis' top-scorer for the season, sophomore Toby Harris, to 16 points. Harris was averaging 23 points per game entering the contest.

The victory was the fifth consecutive win for the Captains, who are now 8-1 at home this season. Christopher Newport will play its next four games on the road, a stretch that begins on Saturday at York College of Pennsylvania. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.