Buena Vista, VA — The Southern Virginia University men's basketball team fell to Christopher Newport University 81–58, as a dominant second-half surge from the Captains proved too much to overcome.

The Knights came out firing, opening the game on a 15–9 run—their largest lead of the night—behind early contributions from Tillman Johnson, Hyrum McConkie, DJ Green, and Austin Mitchell.

Southern Virginia's defensive pressure kept them in front for most of the first half, forcing 13 CNU turnovers, including several momentum-shifting steals. The Knights held the lead for over 11 minutes, but CNU rallied to tie the game at 29–29 and then built a six-point lead with four minutes remaining.

A late surge brought the Knights back within striking distance. After a steal from Jude Ballstaedt and a transition bucket by Abe Connolly, Johnson added two baskets to cut the deficit to 41–39 heading into halftime.

Both teams posted nearly identical shooting numbers in the first half:

SVU: 50% FG — 40% 3PT — 71% FT

CNU: 53% FG — 38% 3PT — 100% FT

However, the Captains dominated the glass, holding a 20–9 rebounding advantage, including 18 second-chance points compared to the Knights' 2.

The second half shifted heavily in favor of CNU, who opened on a hot streak while the Knights struggled to find rhythm offensively. Ashton Davis provided energy with a pair of powerful dunks, and Johnson continued to attack, but the Captains' depth and rebounding margin widened the gap as SVU fell 81–58.

Johnson led all scorers with 22 points on an efficient 9–16 (56.3%), adding nine rebounds and four assists, coming just shy of a double-double. Ballstaedt was the only other Knight in double figures, finishing with 11 points on 3–4 shooting from deep and 2–3 from the line.

Southern Virginia now hits the road to face Randolph College. The Knights defeated the Wildcats 83–73 at home last season and will look to bounce back on Wednesday, December 10th at 7:00 PM.