FORT WAYNE, IND. — After years of waiting and wanting, the championship moment for Christopher Newport men's basketball was made in just 4.3 seconds.
After Mount Union tied the NCAA Division III men's national championship game at 72-72, Trey Barber drove the length of the floor and banked in a shot as time expired to give CNU the 74-72 win and its first national title in program history.
It was the cap of a terrific performance for Barber, who scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four.
For much of the first half the Captains had to fight to get back into it, trailing by as many as 14 points. John Krikorian's group closed the half with a 14-3 run to close the gap to 29-26 heading to the locker room. Again, the Purple Raiders opened a double digit led, taking a 45-35 advantage with 13:55 to go in the second half.
Christopher Newport again found its stride, going on a 17-4 run to take the lead back at 52-49. They would hold the lead, aside from one tie, until Christian Parker hit a layup to send Mount Union up 70-69 with 17 seconds to play. In the blink of an eye, Ty Henderson converted an and-1 with 13.2 seconds left to give the lead back to CNU. Parker again came up with a clutch shot, tying the game at 72 before Barber's heroic shot.
Norview graduate Jahn Hines scored 18 points, while Caleb Furr nailed all four of his three-point shots to turn in 12 points. Matthew Brodie also turned in 12 points in the victory.
The historic win puts the finishing touches on a terrific season for the Captains, who wrap up the year at 30-3.
