NEWPORT NEWS, VA - UC Santa Cruz held a small halftime lead at top-seeded Christopher Newport, but the Captains closed the game with a 28-14 run to put away the Banana Slugs 89-69 in the Coast-To-Coast semifinals.
It was the third meeting between the two schools this season. UC Santa Cruz finishes the season 6-17.
The Banana Slugs stayed close with the hosts the entire first half. Their biggest lead came when Calvin Keyes's "and 1" made it 26-21 with 6:24 left before halftime. The Banana Slugs led 37-36 at the half.
The Captains opened the second half on a 10-2 run to grab a 46-39 lead with 17:12 left. The game stayed a two-possession contest until the Captains' 28-14 run over the last eleven minutes put the game away and sent them to the Conference Final.
Avri Finch had team-highs of 15 points and 12 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Zach Granberry had 11 on 3-6 shooting while Matthew McDonald added 11 off the bench.
Simon Mueller-Landsvik had six assists to finish his career with 206, eighth-best in Banana Slug history.
Darian Peterson led four Captains in double figures with 22 points.