NEWPORT NEWS- The road warrior UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs team gave fourth-ranked Christopher Newport all they could handle, but the Captains eventually pulled away against the Banana Slugs winning the game 74-61.
The game started with a hook shot made by the Captains' Jake Latta. Then the Banana Slugs'  Zino Okah blocked a possible point for the Captains. The Banana Slugs defense was strong in blocking points of the Captains but the Captains were fast with their ball passes. The scoreboard was 8-7 with Santa Cruz with the lead. The Banana Slugs held the lead with layups made by Tyler Kessinger and a jumper by Okah making it 16-10 Banana Slugs with 8:24 left until halftime. The Captains however responded with back-to-back 3-point shots giving them a tie at 16-16, but the Banana Slugs were determined to hold the lead throughout the game. The Banana Slugs managed to hold the Captains off for a majority of the game and another three-pointer by Okah giving them a 29-26 lead at the half.
The Captains did not give up however during the second half of the game. A 3-point shot made by Ty Henderson for the Captains gave them a major game changer. Another three gave the Captains a 35-33 lead before Avri Finch once again tied the game for the Banana Slugs 35-35. In response the Banana Slugs scored some points but the Captains were hanging on the Banana Slugs, tying them once again 40-40 with consecutive layups by Ian McCloskey. The Captains once again took the lead initiated with a layup made by Scott Mullen. Captains steal by Mathew Brodie giving the Captains an even bigger lead 44-40 with 12:07 left.
The Captains held the lead throughout the game keeping the Banana Slugs on their toes. The Captains' quick passes gave them the upper hand against the Banana Slugs 55-48 with 8:23 left. Avri Finch stole the ball due to a bad pass and triggered a 4-0 run to bring the Banana Slugs back to within 55-52 with 7:00 left. The Captains however held off any more Slug attempts and secured the win with a scoreline that didn't show how competitive the game was.
McCloskey led the Banana Slugs with 21 points and five assists. Finch added 16 and Okah had eight points plus three steals. Barber led the Captains with a game-high 23.
UC Santa Cruz (8-12) closes their roadtrip on Sunday when they face another C2C foe in Mary Washington.