Senior forward Greg Rowson scored a game-high 23 points, while seniors Da'Shawn Cook and Emmanuel Aghayere added 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the University of Mary Washington men's basketball team fell to the Christopher Newport University, 71-66, on Wednesday night in Newport News. Junior guard Cameron McCravy added 11 points for the Eagles in a balanced and hard-fought loss, bringing Mary Washington's record to 17-7 on the season.
UMW fell to a 5-0 deficit in the first couple of minutes, but Da'Shawn Cook, Greg Rowson, and Emmanuel Aghayere tied it up at 5 apiece early. As the first half rolled on, 3-pointers from both sides kept the game exciting, yet CNU jumped out to a 21-12 lead. This would not last long, as an 11-2 run for the Eagles would tie the game at 23 with around 7 minutes left in the 1st half, Greg Rowson would soon capitalize on the Eagle opportunities with a corner 3 to take the first Mary Washington lead at 31-29 with a few minutes left in the 1st. Back-and-forth possessions would bring the score tied again at 33, but to which CNU gained momentum to bring the Captains ahead on the scoreboard at the half, 38-33.
Mary Washington got off to a strong start on the offensive in the 2nd half, as Emmanuel Aghayere and Cameron McCravy brought the score to within 2 to make it 40-38 CNU, which was soon followed by Greg Rowson going 2-3 from the line at 17:19 and a steal-turned-layup by Da'Shawn Cook. Back-and-forth offensive and defensive rebounds coupled with fouls on each end over the next 10 minutes of play would keep the game close, as Emmanuel Aghayere went 1-2 at the stripe with 6:38 remaining – giving UMW a 54-53 1-point lead. Three-point shots and free-throws were the story of the last part of the game, as Greg Rowson, Cameron McCravy, and Da'Shawn Cook shined in the closing minutes to keep the Eagles competitive against the Captains. The final basket of the game for the Eagles came from beyond the arc off the hands off McCravy with 2 seconds leftm bringing the score to 66-69, CNU hit 2 free-throws with a second left to end the game and secure a 71-66 victory over UMW.
Rowson led all scorers with 23 points on 7-16 shooting, with six rebounds, assists, and steals, and two blocks on the night. Cook added while McCravy and Aghayere tallied 11 – with Aghayere dominant under the basket with 9 rebounds. Mary Washington shot 43.4% (23-53), making 6-17 three point attempts and 14-22 free throws. Christopher Newport shot the same as UMW 43.8% (17-45) from the field, making 9-24 three point tries and 16-22 free throws. The Eagles were outrebounded 43-25, while forcing 21 CNU turnovers.
The Eagles will return to action Saturday when they host Salisbury University at 3 p.m.