Over the weekend, the Christopher Newport University basketball teams achieved incredible heights. The men’s team was crowned National Champions after a thrilling victory over Mount Union while the women’s team progressed to the National Championship Game after a win over Rhode Island College.

The matchups were not easy for both teams. They were both in close games throughout and had to dig deep to defeat the opposition.

The men’s team was trailing for most of the game. At the half, they were only down by three. In the second half, the momentum began to shift back to Mount Union. A nine point lead was built with 16:34 remaining, leaving the Captains in need of a comeback.

Following the timeout, the Captains began to trim down the lead. Two made free throws from Junior Trey Barber cut the lead to three with 12:39 left. A made three-pointer from Sophomore Caleb Furr almost three minutes later tied the score at 49. The Captains went on to take the lead and build it up to seven with 03:58 left in the game.

However, the Captains had a hard time closing the game out. After being up three with less than a minute left, two turnovers and a foul from the Captains resulted in Mount Union regaining the lead, 70-69 with 17 seconds left.

A three-point play from Sophomore Ty Henderson allowed the Captains to regain the lead with 13 seconds left. This was followed by a made jumper from Mount Union to tie the game at 72 with four seconds left. On the final possession, Trey Barber sank a buzzer-beating layup which made the Captains National Champions.

The Women’s team faced off against Rhode Island College on Saturday night. Many obstacles were thrown at the Captains throughout the tournament including injuries to Senior Anaya Simmons and Senior Katy Rader. This made the game one of the toughest battles for the Captains this season.

The Captains were in a tough spot early, being down by eight at the half. In the third quarter, the Captains began their comeback. Two three-pointers from Fifth-Year Senior Sondra Fan trimmed the deficit to four. After a series of baskets being traded both ways, a layup from Junior Alivia Giles cut the lead to two.

The Captains took the lead thanks to two made free throws from Junior Gabbi San Diego with 06:45 left in the game. A three-pointer from Sondra Fan extended the lead to six. The main key for the Captains in the fourth quarter was their defense, forcing Rhode Island to shoot 0-11 in the final quarter. Made free throws were also the key for the Captains as they shot 11/12 from the line in the fourth quarter.

The Captains will face Transylvania in the National Championship. The game will be played on Saturday, April 1 in Dallas, Texas. It is the second time in Division III history that a single school will be represented in both the Division III Men’s and Women’s National Championship Games.